South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 1 Section I – Executive Summary

Mission and Values The citizens of South Carolina are served by and benefit directly from the economic development activities of PRT. Accountability at SC Department of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism (PRT) is both a measurement system and a relationship system. By promoting tourism and supporting the expansion and continued growth of the tourism industry, PRT plays a key role in accomplishing the objective of increasing personal income of South Carolinians. The agency’s mission is to raise personal income of South Carolinians by creating a better environment for economic growth through delivering state government services more effectively, improving quality of life, and promoting economic development through tourism.

Through PRT’s tourism-based Community and Economic Development efforts, it is also able to extend the benefits of tourism to all areas of the state and to assist rural and lesser-developed communities in generating economic activity. In South Carolina’s state parks, visitors are given the opportunity to experience the diverse natural and cultural resources that project the essence of South Carolina. Whether it is a park visitor, a recreation enthusiast, or a tourism visitor to the state, PRT employees work together to help each of these unique individuals discover the cultural and natural resources that our state offers. Additionally, employees work hard to balance the needs of future generations of visitors without sacrificing the resources of today.

Key Strategic Goals PRT uses its strategic plan to better align its resources with its core mission and to adapt to the current economic realities. Also, each key program area of the agency operates from a comprehensive annual plan. A list of key initiatives is in place to support the agency with achieving two strategic objectives: (See Category 2.4)

1. Raise South Carolina's Gross Tourism Product per Visitor 10% by 12/31/2005. 2. Reinvest $5,000,000 into state park resources by 6/30/2006 in order to improve visitor experiences.

Opportunities & Barriers Tourism Economy Tourism’s size, unique character, and relative importance to the state’s economy require dedicated resources and specialized expertise. The marketing and sales efforts of PRT are primarily aimed at a consumer market (i.e., travelers to the state); PRT is targeting three key markets: female decision makers; golfers and African American women. Women, both Caucasian and African American, influence more than 80 percent of leisure travel decisions. Meanwhile, golf is a major product offering in South Carolina and represents a lucrative market for the state. In all three target markets, PRT is working to protect its “bread and butter” business, while also reaching out to a more affluent consumer through the advertising messaging and through the media schedule.

Visitor Services In terms of state government, PRT serves visitors and travelers almost exclusively. PRT oversees the state’s nine Welcome Centers. The South Carolina Welcome Center Program’s main purpose is to increase South Carolina visitor spending through frontline

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 2 marketing of traditional and nontraditional destinations, influencing future consumer travel plans, and encouraging retirement-relocation to the state. Through its partnership with South Carolina’s Department of Transportation and the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, the Welcome Center Program often serves as the first impression of the state’s hospitality shown to our tourists and travelers.

The State Park Service is primarily focused on providing recreational access to the state’s natural resources. The State Park Service works closely with other resource agencies to protect our state’s natural resources and to balance access with conservation. In addition to the management of natural resources, the State Park Service also manages cultural and historical resources.

The State Park Service and Welcome Center Program are unique in state government in that their customers actually have a choice in whether or not to use their services. It is this characteristic of the State Park Service and the Welcome Center Program, in combination with the role they play in supporting tourism that makes them both a logical partner with the other programs of PRT. PRT is focused on marketing to and fulfilling the needs of consumers. Likewise, the State Park Service and the Welcome Center Program must have a similar focus on the consumer, because each must “attract” its customers.

Major Achievements Tourism The purpose of the Tourism Program is to positively impact the state’s economy by attracting visitors to expend discretionary income in South Carolina. The program objective is achieved through integrated research, marketing, sales, visitor services and grants strategies.

On behalf of the state’s tourism industry, PRT develops and implements an annual multi- faceted marketing plan that promotes the state’s cultural, natural and man-made tourism resources for the purpose of attracting visitors to the state. The marketing plan strategies target key domestic and international consumer and trade markets.

Our customers are unique in state government – they include consumers of travel and tourism activities, the private sector businesses that provide amenities for visitors and the destination marketing organizations and associations that represent the tourism industry. In addition, we cater to resident and non-resident users of parks and recreation facilities throughout the state.

One of our main functions is to market the state to travel consumers to increase the number of customers who patronize the diverse businesses that make up the tourism industry. In addition, we provide for the system of facilities that provide consumers with experiences in our natural environment and cultural heritage. No other agency engages in the level of marketing and visitor services on the scale that PRT does. In 2004, South Carolina’s gross tourism product per visitor rose 7% (from $264 to $284), over halfway to the 2 year goal. (See Category 7.2)

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 3 State Accommodations Tax collections are up 5.9%, while Admissions Tax collections are down 0.2% after 12 months of FY 04-05 (business months from June to May) versus the same period in FY 03-04. (Source: South Carolina Department of Revenue)

PRT’s marketing budget for FY 04-05 totaled $13,779,178 – counting all sources of funding (recurring funds, non-recurring funds, revenue, federal funds). The previous FY the marketing budget, including all sources of funds, totaled $12,167,782. This represents a 13% increase in the PRT marketing budget from FY 03-04 to FY 04-05.

In 2004, tourism generated over $500 million of capital investment in new construction. The Business Development Program was involved in tourism-related economic development projects that accounted for $281.3 million in capital investment during the calendar year 2004. (See Figures 7.2.13 and 7.2.14)

State Park Service The estimated percentage of self-sufficiency of the State Park system was 72%. When comparing South Carolina to other states, the SC State Park national ranking in this category went from 12th to 5th in the nation over the past few years. South Carolina is second in the southeast behind Alabama. The national average is 39%, while the southeastern average is 49%. (See Figure 7.3.2)

An agency team has moved forward with the procurement of a web based central reservations system (CRS). Benefits of a central reservations system to the agency include improved management of campsite inventory, rates and reservations, arrival and departure dates, and a database of valuable guest information for use in marketing. CRS launched a toll-free call center on February 16, 2005, the Internet on February 23, 2005. All State Parks were phased in with the last park going live on April 4, 2005. The process for booking a South Carolina state park has been reduced to a single toll-free call or a few clicks on a website. Most of the 3,000 campsites in the park system are now available for reservations while, prior to this service, most were rented only on a first- come, first-serve basis. For the spring and early summer seasons, CRS has meant a 10.5 percent increase in direct revenue to the Park Service from camping, lodging and day-use facilities in 2005 when compared to the same time period in 2004. The direct revenue from reservations this year was $4.8 million, up from $4.3 million the previous year. Some of the reasons for the growth are easier customer access to State Park facilities, more convenient ways to make reservations and greater numbers of facilities to reserve. (See Category 7.3)

The Discover Carolina Teacher workshop and Clemson University have partnered again this year to provide teachers statewide an accredited program that effectively teaches SC students curriculum-based educational programs. Total number of students participating in site visit field trips was 25,891. Other visitors also took advantage of our interpretive services including programs, nature and education centers. There were 318,655 visitors (not including the student numbers) that participated. (See Figure 7.1.2)

Improvements PRT underwent an ad agency review during the previous year and started FY 04-05 with two agencies of record – one to oversee creative and production; the other to oversee the media strategy and schedule. Under each contract, commissions and hourly rates

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 4 for design and other services were reduced as compared to the previous contract. Savings from this process adjustment have been re-invested into the marketing program.

PRT negotiated numerous added-value benefits as part of its contract with Reserve America, the vendor that has provided the central reservation system and support for the SC State Park Service. For example, South Carolina parks are regularly featured on the Reserve America website; the parks are included in the national “Best Campgrounds” public relations campaign and are featured in the organization’s camping magazine, which has national distribution. PRT also receives extensive editorial exposure in the Park Adventure Guide produced by Reserve America and distributed at all SC State Parks. PRT will receive partnership revenue from the distribution of the publication in the parks. Revenue will be re-invested into parks marketing.

PRT is embarking on a partnership with the SC Billboard Association, which wants to provide in-kind support to the state’s tourism industry. Billboards promoting the State Park Service’s central reservation system and State Parks are under development. In the coming year, the SC Billboard Association will offset the cost of producing the billboards and will run the park messages at no cost to PRT on available billboards throughout the state. A cost savings figure cannot yet be put on this partnership as the cost savings will depend on the number and location of billboards and the duration of the campaign. The cost of a billboard depends on location but can range from $1,000 to $5,000 per placement.

PRT harnessed emerging technology as part of its marketing program this year. Specifically, South Carolina became one of fewer than five states to develop its state visitors guide as an electronic fulfillment item. Through an on-line advertising program, PRT pushed its e-guide into the hands of consumers who did not want to wait two weeks to receive the traditional hard-copy publication. For the more traditional, the agency continues to produce and distribute the hard copy, award-winning publication.

In addition to increases in revenue, CRS has also improved business practices in state parks. Because reservations are accepted within an 11-month window, cash flow is more stable. The Park Service is better able to predict its revenue stream from season to season, manage its expenses and not struggle to meet its financial obligations during slow periods.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between PRT and the tourism departments at Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, the College of Charleston, and Coastal Carolina University was drafted in May 2005 to provide the framework for a South Carolina Center for Tourism Competitiveness and Sustainability. This MOU will aid in more research for tourism as well as an opportunity for PRT to work with the state universities in an interagency partnership to aid the tourism industry in our state.

PRT is leveraging its membership and program investment in Travel South in order to reach Canadian visitors. Travel South is focusing all of its marketing effort on the Canadian market – a lucrative market for South Carolina because of the state’s extensive beach product and valuable tourism offerings.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 5 In this rating period, a number of innovative technology projects have been implemented that have lead to increases in productivity and reduction in cost. These projects include: • Virtualization and consolidation of 16 servers to 2 physical servers. • Deployment of a new tape backup system that replaced a system that was 9+ years old which provides cost savings through decreased time for backup and file recovery. • Deployment of a Juniper SSL VPN Network Access appliance, giving PRT employees the ability to securely access the PRT network and their PC desktops from any web browser.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 6 Section II – Business Overview

In 2004, Travel and Tourism Total Demand was $14 billion in South Carolina and generated jobs for 167,000 South Carolinians and $6.8 billion in Gross State Product, or 5% of total GSP. State and local tax revenues from travel and tourism totaled $1 billion, equivalent to $664 per household in South Carolina. The ratio of tax revenues from tourism to public funds spent due to tourism was $2.46 to $1.

South Carolina state parks are attracting millions of visitors a year, and the agency plays an important role in preserving unique properties and providing access to facilities across the state. PRT helps bring tourism-related development to communities, big and small, all over the state, and the agency has assumed a leadership role with industry partners in promoting South Carolina’s number one industry.

Employees In 2003, PRT created a matrix organizational structure that is a combination of a lateral structure of service or program management and a vertical functional structure. The matrix structure has created more collaboration across the functions of the agency and maximized the use of fewer human resources across agency initiatives. FTEs currently stand at 439 for the agency (100 in the Central Office and 339 in the field).

PRT invests critical resources in its employees to create a motivated, diverse, and capable workforce. Services are enhanced through the support of 300 temporary or supplemental / seasonal employees. Each program area of the agency supports PRT’s mission by helping staff understand and embrace the goals and philosophy of their line of service.

Operation Locations and Descriptions of Major Products and Services Due to PRT’s diverse services, the agency covers a broad scope of locations and sites that are significant naturally, culturally, and historically. Operation locations include a central office complex located in Columbia and a variety of park sites, Welcome Centers, and a Discovery Center. PRT has four major program areas: Tourism Marketing, Tourism-based Community & Economic Development, State Parks, and Recreation.

State Parks South Carolina state parks are defined in many ways and valued on multiple levels. They encompass a variety of physical attributes, host a number of recreational and educational activities, and touch a spiritual plane for many visitors. Defined by both objective and subjective criteria — from plant species, carrying capacities and attendance figures to scenic quality, historic and cultural value, and general ambiance — parks are a paradox. They are a haven for those who seek a natural respite from developed areas; a step back in time at historic sites; a hands-on classroom that challenges visitors to better appreciate their surroundings; and a place for families and friends to spend leisure time together. The state park system provides the green infrastructure that will be critical to future South Carolinians.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 7 The Park Service manages and protects more than 80,000 acres of South Carolina's natural and cultural resources, which range from deep mountain wilderness and old- growth forests to plantation homes, battlefields, waterfronts and wetlands. The state park system includes 46 operational parks and eight historic properties. The system also includes more than 1,500 separate buildings, 155 cabins, 80 motel rooms, 3,000 campsites, two 18-hole golf courses, two saltwater fishing piers, 42 ponds, 156 miles of paved roads, and more than 300 miles of hiking and riding trails.

In the best of South Carolina’s state parks, visitors are given the opportunity to experience the diverse natural and cultural resources that project the essence of South Carolina.

Special resource parks feature natural and cultural resources of such exceptional caliber they warrant special protection. These sites provide limited facilities and focus on protecting the natural resources and preserving the historical features.

Regional parks provide opportunities for recreation in a natural setting as well as facilities to serve the neighboring community or region. Each site has a significant attribute, which contributes to the quality of life for that region.

Outdoor recreation parks are capable of supporting more intense recreation opportunities. While the resources of these areas are not as fragile as those of special resource and traditional parks, development of facilities is designed to complement the natural landscape.

Traditional state parks contain significant natural and cultural resources much like special resource parks, but provide traditional recreation opportunities for visitors to experience without compromising the integrity of the resource.

Recreation The Recreation Program assesses statewide needs, issues, and public opinion on recreational topics. In addition to promoting outdoor recreation -- including trails and greenways, the program provides technical assistance to communities on a wide range of parks and recreational issues, including conceptual planning, facility management, and grant needs. The program administers four federal and state funded grant programs that assist with acquisition and development of parks and recreation facilities.

Tourism One of tourism’s greatest strengths as an economic driver is that it brings new dollars into the state’s economy rather than recycling existing dollars. Out-of-state visitor expenditures totaled $7.2 billion in 2004, up 7% over 2003, and made Travel and

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 8 Tourism the state’s largest export industry. The next largest export industry was Transportation Equipment at $4.3 billion.

The purpose of the PRT Tourism Program is to positively impact the state’s economy by attracting visitors to spend money in South Carolina. The program works through integrated research, marketing, sales, visitor services, and grants strategies. Many of South Carolina’s communities, recognizing the need to diversify their economies, turned to the inclusion of tourism as part of their economic development strategy mix. PRT works to create and sustain the tourism image of the state; works with industry partners to leverage tourism investment through cooperative programs; conducts research to support industry decision making; and provides leadership to identify opportunities and to squarely face challenges to the state’s tourism economy.

PRT provides financial and marketing assistance to eligible state, non-profit tourism marketing entities through the Tourism Marketing Partnership Program (TMPP), a 50/50 matching grants program. The TMPP staff is available to provide one-on-one guidance to grant applicants and grant recipients to help insure the most effective use of the state’s matching grant funds.

Marketing and Sales This service area is responsible for implementing agency policy and programs related to the development of South Carolina’s tourism marketing, sales and grant programs. PRT develops and implements an annual multi-faceted marketing plan that promotes the state’s cultural, natural, and man-made tourism resources for the purpose of attracting visitors to the state. The agency’s staff has contracts to assist with United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia, Germany, other European countries and other international inquiries. Group tour operators and leaders can find details about attractions, accommodations and restaurants, plus contact information for South Carolina's tourism regions.

Welcome Centers and Centers Customer segments cut across areas of the Tourism Program. Direct service is provided to one group of customers – the state’s visitors. The network of state Welcome Centers and a Discovery Center provide free travel services, including reservation assistance, routing assistance, trip planning assistance, translation services and pro-active distribution of a broad range of South Carolina travel-related literature.

The South Carolina Welcome Center Program exists to increase travel expenditures and expand economic development within the state's tourism industry. The centers offer services that simplify the travel experience for visitors and encourage them to stay longer and spend more money in the state.

Each year, over seven million domestic and international travelers and state residents

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 9 rely on the wide variety of travel services offered at the state's Welcome Centers. The centers generate millions of dollars annually in additional travel revenue for the Palmetto State through such services as complimentary lodging and attraction reservations, and proactive one-on-one marketing. Nationally certified travel coordinators help visitors book rooms for overnight travel, make dinner reservations, get tickets for a show, or make tee times for a round of golf.

Tourism Community and Economic Development This program area’s purpose is to attract and facilitate new and expanding quality destination tourism developments in the state, as well as to develop grassroots initiatives that use natural, cultural, and historic resources to provide economic development through tourism.

Heritage Tourism Much of South Carolina has potential for heritage tourism development. Currently, the most advanced heritage tourism development project is taking place in the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor. The Heritage Corridor was designated by Congress as a National Heritage Area in 1996, one of about two dozen such areas in the country. The Corridor consists of 14 counties and over 250 miles, divided into four distinct regions. The corridor stretches along the western border of the state from Charleston to the mountain foothills.

Heritage tourism includes historic, cultural and natural amenities. Heritage resources include folkways, the arts, the surrounding landscape and geography, the history of the peoples who settled there and the recreational amenities of an area. The basic characteristic of this tourism niche is that the experience be interactive, educational, authentic and entertaining. Other parts of the state are developing heritage tourism products relating to the Revolutionary War and Civil War, political history, and agricultural and industrial themes.

Research and Policy Development The Research and Policy Development team provides marketing research and economic data related to tourism to the business community. State Tourism Accounts are maintained which measure output, employment and value-added in line with the U.S. Tourism Satellite Accounts. (See Figures 7.2.4, 7.2.5, 7.2.6, and 7.2.7) The team also provides support and strategic policy recommendations to the agency to further the agency’s mission to improve the economic well-being and quality of life in South Carolina.

Grant Funding A variety of grants are available to non-profit and governmental organizations to develop traditional marketing materials, purchase advertising to attract visitors, develop heritage products, acquire land for the purpose of public recreation, plan and develop new indoor or outdoor public park and recreation facilities, and implement trail-related projects.

Key Customers and Customer Segments PRT provides direct service to primary customer groups through the Park Service, Welcome Centers, and a Discovery Center. In addition to direct customer service, the agency delivers a significant impact with stakeholder groups affected by other major

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 10 agency services. PRT’s main clients are the citizens of South Carolina and the state’s tourism industry. Its main customers are the residents of South Carolina and the approximately twenty-six million annual out-of-state visitors to South Carolina. PRT is primarily an economic development agency, but it also manages many natural, cultural and historical resources of the state.

PRT maintains an ongoing dialogue with its tourism industry partners through workshops, meetings, and conferences. These sessions provide opportunities for agency staff to acquire feedback from the industry while sharing valuable information for marketing the state. PRT also locally hosts individual State of the State Park meetings. There, citizens and industry partners alike can express views and develop strategies for effectively utilizing each park as a community resource. Additionally, the personnel of each program area, from Park Service to Tourism, act as experts on local, county, and statewide bodies, providing assistance and technical expertise on numerous projects.

Key suppliers for PRT’s services include the Bounce Agency, Rawle-Murdy, Parks Service Friends Groups, MarketSearch Corporation, M Davis and Co., and local chambers of commerce.

MarketSearch Corporation and M Davis and Co. provide strategic marketing recommendations and evaluation of advertising campaigns. Beginning with an advertising strategy development study in FY 03-04, they have contracted to perform studies on advertising awareness, conversion of leads, consumer media usage and satisfaction of fulfillment materials.

Friends Groups in South Carolina State Parks have become important resources in the daily operation and long-term management of parks. They are usually formed by a group of dedicated volunteers who help operate the park, acquire funding, plan special events, support specific projects and raise awareness of the value of state parks. Many of them are called “Friends of (the state park)” or “Partners for (the state park),” but they all support public recreation and resource protection by expanding services without expanding costs.

Organizational Structure Over the past two years, PRT has taken steps to significantly flatten its management structure and realign programs and functional services across the agency in order to promote greater efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability for agency services. The Director identified the matrix structure as the one that most closely aligns staffing decisions, priorities, and resources with the mission of PRT. (See Matrix Organizational Chart)

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 11

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 12 Accountability Report Appropriations/Expenditures Chart

Base Budget Expenditures and Appropriations

03-04 Actual Expenditures 04-05 Actual Expenditures 05-06 Appropriations Act

General Total Funds General Total Funds General Total Funds Funds Funds Major Budget Funds Categories

$16,034,853 $11,624,230 $11,646,737 Personal Service $16,436,537 $15,812,666 $11,946,974

Other Operating $12,605,816 $2,296,766 $14,024,839 $3,572,553 $16,579,155 $3,825,305

Special Items $9,756,848 $9,367,568 $16,833,779 $12,135,403 $16,418,960 $12,343,960 Permanent Improvements $4,537,815 $225,000 $7,475,420 $5,201,000 $0 $0

Case Services $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Distributions to Subdivisions $6,013,494 $2,895,410 $4,998,092 $215,000 $4,233,215 $0

Fringe Benefits $4,860,850 $3,863,799 $5,053,740 $3,945,817 $5,114,875 $4,134,952

Non-recurring $1,946,688 $1,946,688 $ $0 $0 $0 Total $55,756,364 $31,219,461 $64,822,407 $36,716,510 $58,158,871 $32,251,191

Other Expenditures Sources of Funds 03-04 Actual Expenditures 04-05 Actual Expenditures Supplemental Bills $ $1,056,157 Capital Reserve Funds $ $ Bonds $2,123,941 $1,220,585

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 13 Major Program Areas

Program Major Program Area FY 03-04 FY 04-05 Key Cross Number Purpose Budget Expenditures Budget Expenditures References for and Title (Brief) Financial Results* State: 1,042,149.00 State: 983,869.00 7.3.1 01010000 Federal: Federal: 7.4 The Executive Program includes the Director's Executive Other: 0.00 Other: Office, Human Resources and Internal Audits Offices Total: 1,042,149.00 Total: 983,869.00 % of Total Budget: 2% % of Total Budget: 2% State: 1,375,000.00 State: 1,375,000.00 50250500 Federal: Federal: South Carolina Association of Tourism Regional Other: Other: Regions. These are pass-through funds. Promotions Total: 1,375,000.00 Total: 1,375,000.00 % of Total Budget: 2% % of Total Budget: 2% State: 6,717,876.00 State: 6,417,569.00 7.1.1-7.1.4 Federal: 45,908.00 Federal: 29,105.00 7.2, 7.2.16 Central Park Operations focus on providing 50650000 standards, guidelines and assistance to field Other: 14,063,049.00 Other: 14,758,944.00 7.3.2-7.3.6 20,826,833.00 21,205,618.00 7.4.1-7.4.2, 7.5 State Park operations in the areas of budgeting, resource Total: Total: Service management, interpretation, training, strategies, % of Total Budget: 38% % of Total Budget: 36% and management activities.

State: 2,359,506.00 State: 2,441,776.00 7.1.5-7.1.6 This service area is responsible for Federal: Federal: 0.00 7.3 implementing agency policy and programs Other: 0.00 Other: 0.00 7.2.4-7.2.11 related to the development of South Carolina's Total: 2,359,506.00 Total: 2,441,776.00 50250100 domestic and international tourism marketing, % of Total Budget: 4% % of Total Budget: 4% Tourism Sales sales and grant programs. Group tour operators & Marketing and leaders can find details about attractions, accommodations and restaurants, plus contact information for South Carolina's tourism regions.

State: 3,148,982.00 State: 4,052,861.00 7.4 The Administration Area includes Finance, Federal: Federal: 0.00 01050000 Technology Services and Performance Other: 385,464.00 Other: 2,806.00 Administration Develoment Total: 3,534,446.00 Total: 4,055,667.00 % of Total Budget: 6% % of Total Budget: 7% Much of South Carolina has potential for State: 175,000.00 State: 640,632.00 7.2.12 heritage tourism development. Currently, the Federal: 692,513.00 Federal: 676,215.00 most advanced heritage tourism development Other: 0.00 Other: 4,230.00 50450100 project is taking place in the South Carolina Total: 867,513.00 Total: 1,321,077.00 Development - National Heritage Corridor. The Heritage 2% 2% Heritage % of Total Budget: % of Total Budget: Corridor was designated by Congress as a Tourism National Heritage Area in 1996, one of about two dozen such areas in the country. Program 5035000 & 5040000 merged in FY05 State: 362,127.00 State: 0.00 7.2.13-7.2.15 This program area's purpose is to attract and Federal: Federal: 0.00 50400000 facilitate new and expanding quality destination Other: 31,964.00 Other: 0.00 Business & tourism developments in the state, as well as to Total: 394,091.00 Total: 0.00 Sports develop grassroots initiatives that use natural, % of Total Budget: 1% % of Total Budget: 0% Development cultural, and historic resources to provide economic development through tourism.

The Recreation Program assesses statewide State: 637,232.00 State: 667,342.00 7.2 50600100 needs, issues, and public opinion on Federal: 819,878.00 Federal: 3,043,519.00 7.3 Recreation, recreational topics. The program administers Other: 1,830,943.00 Other: 1,508,759.00 7.5 Planning & four federal and state funded grant programs Total: 3,288,053.00 Total: 5,219,620.00 Engineering that assist with acquisition and development of parks and recreation facilities. % of Total Budget: 6% % of Total Budget: 9% This program houses all the fringe benefits State: 3,863,798.00 State: 3,945,817.00 95050000 associated with all program positions. These Federal: 102,207.00 Federal: 103,393.00 Employer benefits include retirement, Social Security, Other: 894,845.00 Other: 1,004,529.00 Contributions Medicare taxes, and health and dental Total: 4,860,850.00 Total: 5,053,739.00 insurance. % of Total Budget: 9% % of Total Budget: 9% 598110000 State: 3,876,198.00 State: Operating Federal: Federal: Expenses Refer to program 50050900 Other: Other: Non-Recurring Total: 3,876,198.00 Total: 0.00 Advertising % of Total Budget: 7% % of Total Budget: 0% State: 7,088,090.00 State: 9,721,798.00 7.2.1-7.2.3 PRT develops and implements an annual, multi-Federal: Federal: 7.3 faceted marketing plan that promotes the Other: 357,315.00 Other: 2,876,453.00 state's cultural, natural, and man-made tourism Total: 7,445,405.00 Total: 12,598,251.00 resources for the purpose of attracting visitors % of Total Budget: 13% % of Total Budget: 21% to the state. This includes the Tourism 50050900 Marketing Partnership Program. The purpose Advertising of this program is creation and implementation of projects to stimulate and expand the travel and tourism industry within the state by helping local communities' to strengthen their ecomony through tourism partnerships.

Below: List any programs not included above and show the remainder of expenditures by source of funds.

50250300 Canadian Promotions, 50250700 Contributions, 50600300 PalmettoTrails, 50600200 Recreation Land Trust Fund, 50700000 Communications, 50800000 Research & Policy Develoment, 50450300 First in Golf, 50600400 Litter Control

Remainder of Expenditures: State: 5,095,609.00 State: 1,469,737.00 Federal: Federal: Other: 385,465.00 Other: 2,879,680.00 Total: 5,481,074.00 Total: 4,349,417.00 % of Total Budget: 10% % of Total Budget: 7%

* Key Cross-References are a link to the Category 7 - Business Results. These References provide a Chart number that is included in the 7th section of this document. South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 14 Section III – Elements of Malcolm Baldrige Award Criteria

Category 1 – Leadership 1.1.a. How do senior leaders set, deploy and ensure two-way communication for short and long term direction? Senior leaders communicate direction through a variety of methods, both formal and informal. Within the work of the agency, the Director and Chief of Staff identified cooperative and collaborative objectives with key managers and key stakeholders which support agency priorities. They also work together to develop individual and management team accountabilities that determine the best conditions and results for supporting changing priorities, resources and the mission. Ongoing communication outlines information that is pertinent to supporting flexibility and adaptability in achieving priorities and using resources.

1.1.b-f. How do senior leaders set, deploy and ensure two-way communication for performance expectations, organizational values, empowerment, innovation, learning, and ethical behavior? In addition to identifying cooperative and collaborative objectives for the agency, senior leaders use the annual planning processes across the agency, key meetings, and the accountability report process to set and communicate performance expectations. Senior leaders are involved in setting performance expectations through operational plans for key services, planning for specific critical support functions, and critical project meetings. In each of these areas, leaders meet with critical staff and document the performance expectations. At key milestones the leaders receive updates on performance to plans and expectations. The Universal Review date for the Employee Performance Management System is used to align the planning cycles and performance plans for key services, functions, and projects. A mandatory objective for teamwork was developed in 2004 to measure the use of the matrix organizational structure to focus collaborative efforts on projects that cross functional areas. Senior leaders have also involved agency management in the creation and implementation of an agency dashboard of strategic performance measures. The dashboard of measures will guide measurement processes throughout the year and are reviewed in preparation of key decisions and for improvement opportunities in the accountability report process.

Values are deployed through agency plans, interactions between supervisors and employees, and the employee reward and recognition program PRT Matters. PRT particularly focuses on teamwork, stewardship, customer service, leadership, quality, and innovation in the past year. These values are critical to the ongoing effort to move the agency toward a more adaptable and flexible approach to collaborating across agency functions and programs.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 15 Emphasis and training have been placed on budget management and practical business applications to result in a better product, more productivity, and an efficient utilization of appropriated funds and self-generated revenue.

PRT uses a system that supports cross-functional, matrix-based communication, project management, team skill development, and project evaluation. This matrix-based approach to creativity is also supported through PRT's reward and recognition program. The reward and recognition program, commissioned by the director, is an ongoing formal program that expands the “winners circle” for low-cost, meaningful rewards and recognizes the achievements of employees and teams in a way that supports the agency’s values. To date, 61 employees have received some form of recognition for their work going above and beyond their normal job duties. The Director, Chief of Staff, and managers continue to explore various issues and concerns as the matrix structure matures to ensure that the implementation is consistent with agency priorities, plans and values.

Organizational learning takes place through key industry linkages. Significant information on the tourism industry is gathered through the Travel & Tourism Satellite Account (See Category 7.2) and shared with agency employees and key industry partners. Parks industry information is gathered through regional and national parks meetings and shared at the annual Park Managers Conference. Key employee learning in the Park Service is also shared at the conference and during the Annual Park Planning process. Welcome Center staff shares organizational and employee learning at the annual Welcome Center conference and during quarterly supervisor meetings. Key organizational learning is shared through regular agency staff meetings, IP/TV, and regular management and staff meetings within program areas.

Ethical behavior receives attention through agency human resources policies, supervision of key processes and responsibilities, and during the agency’s new employee orientation. For the past two years, the agency has worked hard to incorporate the value of accountability into all agency planning processes and to follow up with plans through performance measures and the Employee Performance Management System (EPMS). The agency has also initiated reviews by the internal auditors whenever business practices were called into question or when business practices needed review prior to implementation.

1.2. How do senior leaders establish and promote a focus on customers and other stakeholders? Senior leaders proactively promote a systematic focus on customers through several strategic activities of the agency. Customer-oriented goals, objectives, and performance measures are incorporated into the PRT Marketing Plan, the State Parks Vision for the 21st Century, and the Strategic Plan for the state’s National Heritage Corridor. In addition, key customer access points include processes for receiving and incorporating customer feedback, including the annual Governor’s Conference, website usability testing, and various focus groups with key stakeholders and partners on key projects. All grant programs managed by the agency operate under a “sunshine” process, are reviewed annually, and incorporate improvement input from those customers applying for grants.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 16 1.3. How do senior leaders maintain fiscal, legal, and regulatory accountability? Senior leaders work closely with and rely on the agency’s budget director, legal counsel, and internal auditors to maintain fiscal, legal and regulatory accountability. These staff members are involved with project reviews, contract reviews, and other key processes such as applicant offers, grievances, and policy changes.

1.4. What key performance measures are regularly reviewed by your senior leaders? Key performance measures are tied to the agency’s organizational objectives and critical operational plans. Last year these measures were crafted into an agency dashboard of measures (See Category 7.2) and selected measures were reviewed by senior leaders for inclusion in the agency’s accountability report. PRT’s dashboard of measures has been integrated into a performance review process that will tell the story of the agency’s performance and accountability for the identified project, program, area or agency as a whole. Ownership of the dashboard is identified by who produces the data. Measurement involves analyzing the data that may be integrated from different areas of the agency and is used by senior leaders as well as a variety of audiences.

1.5. How do senior leaders use organizational performance review findings and employee feedback to improve their own leadership effectiveness and the effectiveness of management throughout the organization? Senior leaders review the annual budget, the agency marketing plan, Park plans, and accomplishment of agency goals/objectives regularly in the course of agency planning and decision-making processes. Senior leaders make adjustments in short-term direction through the key operational plans and performance improvement initiatives of the agency. To address management feedback and employee satisfaction processes, the Director of Organization Development and Accountability coordinates an agency- wide employee engagement process. Analysis of the employee engagement data is used to design and implement performance improvement initiatives each year. (See Category 7.4)

1.6. How does the organization address the current and potential impact on the public of its products, programs, services, facilities and operations, including associated risks? Annually the State Parks and Recreation programs of the agency conduct an assessment of state operated facilities. There is a cost / risk analysis done for aging facilities, including an ongoing effort to deal with asbestos risks. The agency focuses on impact assessments for construction sites. A comprehensive Crisis Communication Plan guides the agency’s activities and safeguards the public during major environmental crisis such as a hurricane or earthquake. Given the diminishing resources available during cuts in the agency’s operating budget, decisions on resource allocation are based on the best use of dollars for the public impact and associated risks.

1.7. How does senior leadership set and communicate key organizational priorities for improvement? Senior leaders use the analysis and decision making process for setting agency goals and for the agency accountability report to set and communicate key organizational priorities for improvement. Ongoing state fiscal challenges led senior leaders to look for ways to make the agency more flexible and adaptive while working with shrinking resources. Senior leaders analyze and debrief improvement opportunities and targets in key business systems: park planning, operational planning, support services, and

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 17 marketing planning. The senior leaders are continuing to work on moving the agency’s business planning processes for every key business function toward including matrixed projects.

1.8. How does senior leadership and the agency actively support and strengthen the community? Senior leaders focus their active support for strengthening the community in the areas of natural and cultural resources and in recreation and tourism activities. Leaders provide technical support and funding support to communities through the Heritage Corridor program grants (See Figure 7.2.12), the Tourism Marketing Partnership Program (See Category 7.3), and the recreation grants programs of the agency. PRT’s research reports on our website provide vital tourism-related information to communities and organizations. (See Figure 7.1.6) Areas of emphasis arise from the agency planning process and from staff interaction at the local, county, and state level of each program area.

Category 2– Strategic Planning 2.1. What is your Strategic Planning process, including key participants and how does it account for customer needs and expectations, financial, regulatory, societal and other risks, human resource capabilities and needs, operational capabilities and needs, and supplier/contractor/partner capabilities and needs? PRT has revised its strategic priorities to better align its resources with its core mission and to adapt to the current economic realities. Each program continues to operate from its own comprehensive annual plan which is aligned with the agency priorities and mission. These plans, which are designed to be consistent with the agency’s goals, include:

• Annual Comprehensive Marketing Plan; • State Park Service – “The Vision for the 21st Century”; • South Carolina Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP); • Visitor Services Operational Plan; and • South Carolina Heritage Areas Program.

Our agency’s vision and goals are shaped around our relationships with the people we serve: our industry partners, our visitors, our employees, and the citizens of South Carolina. PRT is an agency with a statewide mandate serving the needs of diverse constituencies.

The agency’s performance accountability is designed to link agency strategies, budgeting and performance measures to clearly demonstrate accountability. PRT continues to utilize the Annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Travel as the means of cross-communications to inform strategic objectives. Additionally, internal customer input and feedback is sought through the annual Park Managers meeting and Visitor Services conference. PRT uses primary and secondary marketing research to focus marketing efforts and to measure consumer reactions. Marketing research is conducted annually to ensure that our advertising is reaching our targeted customers and fulfilling our marketing goals, and maximizing greater ROI potential through our marketing dollars.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 18 The Park Service Annual Park Planning process and the Recreation, Planning, & Engineering annual plan process each assess societal and environmental risks as a regular course of business in delivering services. It is important to develop a comprehensive, aggressive program to help protect and preserve examples of the state’s unique natural features. In order for the state to be a leader in protecting vital resources, it must stand ready to face increasing competition among developers who also understand the value of prime land. The same special attributes that draw visitors also attract businesses in the “second home” or resort industries.

Critical to PRT’s ability to better gather and identify supplier/contractor/partner capabilities and needs is the agency’s direct involvement and participation in key professional associations and boards. This leadership provides the agency with the ability to be more proactive and responsive during times of critical need and challenge.

PRT is currently engaged with the Governor’s Office, the Department of Commerce, and a number of private-sector advisors in developing a new strategic plan for economic development in South Carolina. This cluster development study, which includes tourism as a primary industry sector, provides a strategic road map for fully-leveraging South Carolina’s key industries to grow the state’s economy and increase personal income of South Carolinians. PRT’s agency director continues to work with the S.C. Council on Competitiveness and specifically the Travel and Tourism Cluster Committee, which he chairs, to expand tourism in South Carolina and leverage tourism assets with related and affected industries in order to expand wealth in South Carolina.

The Tourism Cluster Committee has established three active subcommittees: Air Service, Product Development Incentives, and Education, Training and Customer Service. Each subcommittee has additional members who are representative of the diverse tourism industry. The Tourism Cluster Committee is currently commissioning a statewide Tourism Action Plan. The Tourism Cluster Committee has established its mission and outlined objectives for the tourism industry over the next five years. Baseline metrics have been identified and approved and a GIS inventory of South Carolina’s tourism assets has been completed. The PRT staff has reviewed economic development incentives offered by competitive states for tourism projects. The agency is now working on recommending legislation for South Carolina to increase the state’s competitiveness and to ensure that state incentives are flexible enough to meet the unique needs of the tourism industry.

2.2. What are your key strategic objectives? (Address in Strategic Planning Chart) The Director has identified two strategic objectives to guide the efforts of the agency’s program areas and operational plans. The two objectives encompass several key initiatives and key performance measures and represent every program and service the agency provides:

1. Raise South Carolina’s Gross Tourism Product per visitor by 10% by 12/31/2005. 2. Reinvest $5,000,000 into state park resources by 6/30/2006 in order to improve visitor experiences.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 19

2.3. How do you develop and track action plans that address your key strategic objectives? Annual Comprehensive Marketing Plan – This plan, updated annually, directs the majority of the work accomplished through the Tourism Program. The integrated marketing plan is developed and implemented by staff from across the agency. It is published on the agency's website. The Marketing Plan directly supports the agency's legislative mandate to promote tourism.

State Park Service – “The Vision for the 21st Century” – The State Park Service has a strategic plan that is integrated into the day-to-day operations of the Park Service. The strategic plan sets the stage for the effective management of state parks. General Management Plans for every state park have been developed in conjunction with the objectives outlined in the strategic plan. An Annual Park Plan for each park is developed by Park Managers in conjunction with senior management. These plans include many components of a traditional business plan, including a detailed financial plan.

South Carolina Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) – SCORP is South Carolina’s official comprehensive outdoor recreation plan. As such, this five-year plan serves as a guide to various federal, state and local governmental agencies and private sector organizations involved in recreation and natural resources planning and development. The purpose of the plan is to consider outdoor recreation issues relating to the citizens and visitors of South Carolina, examine the state’s recreational resources, analyze demand for recreational opportunities, develop an implementation program to address identified needs and issues, identify funding opportunities to support implementation efforts, and identify issues and trends of national importance.

The SCORP is used as a guide for distribution of state recreation grant funds such as the Recreation Land Trust Fund (RELT) (See Category 6.4) and the Parks and Recreation Development Fund (PARD) (See Categories 6.4 and 7.3). SCORP meets the National Park Service requirements for a state plan and serves as the planning document for the disbursement of the state’s share of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) (See Categories 6.4 and 7.3). It is also used as a guide for the distribution of the Recreational Trails Program Fund.

Visitor Services Operational Plan – This plan, which is updated annually, provides the operational road map for the day-to-day operation of the state's nine Welcome Centers and one Discovery Center. The plan directly supports the agency's legislative mandate to promote tourism. It was developed by a team from the Welcome Center and Discovery Center staffs. The program's services to tourism industry partners are communicated through a program brochure and on the agency's website. (See Figures 7.2.10-11)

South Carolina Heritage Areas Program – The South Carolina Heritage Areas Program was created by Executive Order of the Governor in 1994, in recognition of the value of heritage tourism to the economic revitalization of rural communities. A comprehensive strategic plan for a possible National Heritage Area was prepared by nationally recognized experts in the field of heritage tourism. The quality of their work was recognized in 1996, when the US Congress created the South Carolina National

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 20 Heritage Corridor. Since that time, PRT has worked in close cooperation with the Heritage Corridor Board, as they develop the strategies and work plans that have resulted in the Heritage Corridor’s development. (See Category 6.4 and Figure 7.2.12)

2.4. What are your key action plans / initiatives? (Address in Strategic Planning Chart) Mission: Raise personal income of South Carolinians by creating a better environment for economic growth through delivering state government services more effectively, improving quality of life and promoting economic development through tourism. Vision: Shaping and sharing a better South Carolina through: Stewardship, Service, Economic Development, and Marketing. Goal 1: Raise South Carolina’s Gross Tourism Product per visitor by 10% by December 31, 2005 Goal 2: Reinvest $5,000,000 into state park resources in order to improve visitor experiences by June 30, 2006

05-06 Strategic Planning Chart

Stewardship of Financial Resources Program # & Strategic Performance Standard / Title Goal Key Agency Strategies / Initiatives Measurement 50650000 Goal 2 Effectively operate State Parks with standard Generate Net Operating State Park business management practices Income of $2,000,000 Service 50650000 Goal 2 Implement Point-of-Sale State Park Service 01050000 Goal 2 Identify and support new revenue (fundraising) and Generate $300,000 in Administration partnership opportunities private donations (cash and/or in-kind) to State Park Service 50250900 Goal 1 Provide technical assistance to communities and Effectiveness of technical Advertising coordinate a variety of grants that are available to assistance to communities 50600100 organizations that will expand the state’s tourism will be measured through Recreation, and recreational products customer satisfaction Planning & surveys. Engineering Economic impact of parks and recreation grants for 04-05 will total $5.5 million in capital expenditures.

Stewardship of Human Resources Program # & Strategic Performance Standard / Title Goal Key Agency Strategies / Initiatives Measurement 01010000 Goal 2 Develop project management skills and project Track number of staff Executive teams that align with the matrix organizational trained in the project Offices structure management system 01050000 process Administration 01010000 Goal 2 Use of project management system to maximize Track number of projects,

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 21 Executive human resources number of staff involved in Offices project and critical 01050000 milestones achieved by Administration project

Stewardship of Cultural and Natural Resources Program # & Strategic Performance Standard / Title Goal Key Agency Strategies / Initiatives Measurement 50650000 Goal 2 Identify, conserve and perpetuate its populations of Measure the State Park endangered, threatened and rare species through effectiveness of Service an integrated program of public education and preservation efforts, management actions aimed at protecting individual national register-listed species and enhancing critical habitats. structures owned or leased by the state Implement an ongoing program to reliably park service inventory and monitor its populations of wildlife.

Economic Development Program # & Strategic Performance Standard / Title Goal Key Agency Strategies / Initiatives Measurement 50400000 Goal 1 Proactively recruit tourism businesses Increase capital Business & investment in tourism Sports infrastructure by 10% Development 50450100 Goal 1 Assist rural and under-developed communities with Effectively utilize $1 Development – tourism products million in Rural Heritage Infrastructure Funds to Tourism develop rural tourism product and support the Heritage Corridor 50650000 Goal 1 Develop a reinvestment plan for the State Park Track strategic State Park & 2 Service investments in improving Service state parks and protecting additional properties of significance (and impact of those investments)

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 22

Marketing Program # & Strategic Performance Standard / Title Goal Key Agency Strategies / Initiatives Measurement 50250100 Goal 1 Develop a statewide coordinated methodology for Use standardized Tourism Sales effectively measuring impact of destination research methodology & Marketing marketing campaigns statewide

50250900 Goal 1 Market State Parks to increase awareness, Increase occupancy rates Advertising and 2 visitation and top line revenue. Define parks which at State Parks with 50800000 have “potential and capacity” and market potential and capacity. Research & accordingly Cabin and Villas by 10%. Policy Camping by 10% (per Development camping-nights). Increase golf rounds by 10% (per play-days)

Track visitor awareness and visitation and benchmark SC state park non-resident visitors with other states

2.5. How do you communicate and deploy your strategic objectives, action plans and performance measures? Stakeholders and employees of PRT learn face-to-face about our programs and plans through workshops, meetings, public hearings and conferences. Every program area at PRT conducts each of the above-mentioned activities during the planning processes mentioned in 2.3, but in addition, the agency and each program within it communicates with its clients and partners through regular and special communiqués. Increasingly, the agency is utilizing the Internet and its own PRT Intranet system to quickly inform our team and partners of our plans and actions and to receive their feedback in return. In addition, the agency has created an e-mail partners list, and the directorate is issuing regular bulletins of information and an e-newsletter regarding the actions of PRT and state government that affect the state’s tourism industry.

2.6 The agency’s internet homepage address for the strategic plan (if available to the public). The agency’s strategic plan is not available to the public.

Category 3 – Customer Focus 3.1 How do you determine who your customers are and what their key requirements are? The agency answers this question in a variety of ways depending on the program or circumstances. The citizens of South Carolina benefit directly from the economic development activities of PRT and are served by the diverse programs that manage a large segment of the state’s natural, cultural, and historic resources.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 23 Marketing research defines customer segments that visit South Carolina from its domestic markets. Some are distinct in trip behavior, media usage, and demographics, requiring differing advertising messages to attract them.

PRT is targeting three key markets: female decision makers, golfers, and African- American women. Women, both Caucasian and African-American, influence more than 80% of leisure travel decisions. Meanwhile, golf is a major product offering in South Carolina and represents a lucrative market for the state. In all three target markets, PRT is working to protect its “bread and butter” business, while also reaching out to a more affluent consumer through the advertising messages and through the media schedule.

Simultaneous to the launch of a new web portal, the agency began to define characteristics of key customer segments, identify opportunities to acquire contact and profile information from site visitors, establish demographic variables, and establish requirements for acquiring and using data.

The network of nine state Welcome Centers and one Discovery Center provide free travel services, including reservation assistance, routing assistance, trip planning assistance, translation services and pro-active distribution of a broad range of South Carolina travel-related literature. (See Figures 7.2.10 and 7.2.11)

The Tourism Marketing Partnership Program provides assistance to another customer group – in-state, non-profit tourism marketing entities working to attract visitors to the state’s many destinations. The TMPP staff provides one-on-one guidance to grant applicants and grant recipients to help insure the most effective use of the state’s matching grant funds. (See Category 7.3)

PRT participated in the SC Black Expo this spring, delivering its state parks message and overall general consumer message to African-American female consumers. The partnership included editorial and direct mail benefits.

Through these direct interactions, PRT gets to know customers and their needs.

The State Park Service serves a variety of customers throughout the year and these customers utilize an assortment of diverse programs and services. Methods utilized to determine the success of the programs and services provided include: feedback email on the State Park website, capturing of data on repeat visitors, visitor satisfaction, and evaluations of current programs. The Park Service provides a wide range of visitor services from more traditional activities such as camping, cabins, hiking, fishing, and recreational programs and activities to innovative educational programs like Discover Carolina. PRT has taken a more proactive position in the marketing of SC State Parks – both to residents and to visitors – during the past year. Two major campaigns were used to communicate the availability, the scenic beauty and the value of state parks as a place for residents and non-residents to spend leisure time and money, one was with the Clemson and USC Broadcast Networks, and the other was a dedicated, semi-annual four-color newspaper insert.

During this rating period PRT successfully implemented a Central Reservation System (CRS) with the launch of a toll-free call center on February 16, 2005 and internet

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 24 reservation on February 23, 2005. All state parks were phased in with the last park going live on April 4, 2005. The CRS represents the largest technology initiative ever undertaken by the State Park Service. The CRS is up and running and is performing well beyond expectations by increasing park revenue, reducing the administrative burden on staff, and significantly stabilizing cash flow from park operations. This huge and very complicated project was completed on-time and on-budget by fully utilizing PRT’s new matrix organization, which encourages cross-functional teams of the type used for the CRS project. Additionally, PRT’s innovative partnership with a private vendor (Reserve America) ensured that this project was completed to the highest standards using the latest technology to serve park customers. (See Category 7.3)

Within Tourism Community and Economic Development, the program staff works with developers and communities to provide background information on locations, technical assistance in the form of explaining the incentives and necessary guidance on the state policies, procedures, and laws that affect the project; and prospect assistance with site visits and making the necessary contacts and visits to move the project toward completion. In developing areas, staff offers technical assistance in the development of tourism products to include leading organizational groups in communities to inventory their tourism products and establish priorities for development; advises and guides the process of bringing the product to marketability; and connects the communities with marketing entities as well as assisting with local marketing opportunities.

3.2 How do you keep your listening and learning methods current with changing customer/business needs? Information is gained through research and marketing processes; environmental information collected through the legislative process and agency leaders’ membership with critical boards and associations. The agency uses information from inquiry conversion and ad awareness studies to improve its media plan from year to year.

The Recreation program uses surveys to keep up to date with customer requirements. Specifically, the program relies on the Recreation Participation and Preference Survey and the USC State survey. During FY 05-06, PRT will be examining the new Central Reservation System (CRS) to design and optimize the listening and learning methods available through the new automated system. (See Category 7.3)

3.3 How do you use information from customers/stakeholders to keep services or programs relevant and provide for continuous improvement? Information from customers/stakeholders results in improving services and programs at the agency on a regular basis.

PRT’s Cooperative Advertising Programs are developed with input from South Carolina’s tourism industry partners. Media programs are specifically designed to be extremely affordable and timed to maximize return on investment. (See Category 7.3)

The Tourism Marketing Partnership Program polls external customers to solicit suggestions on how to better meet customer and business needs, to ascertain guideline modifications, and to strengthen work processes. The Tourism Marketing Partnership Program is currently being reviewed by the agency. The review will examine the purpose and scope of the program in order to better serve stakeholders. (See Category 7.3)

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 25 The Recreation program uses the Recreation Participation and Preference Survey and the USC State survey to establish grant selection criteria for managing the grants processes. State Park Service collects information through feedback email on the State Park website, capturing of data on repeat visitors, visitor satisfaction, and evaluations of current programs.

3.4 How do you measure customer/stakeholder satisfaction? Customer/stakeholder satisfaction is measured in a variety of ways throughout the variety of services offered by PRT. Within the Parks system, customer data is collected through cabin reply cards, direct observation and interaction with Park visitors, and through questions contributed to a citizen survey conducted by the USC Institute of Public Affairs. (See Figure 7.1.1) For complaints received within the Park Service, staff makes efforts to answer all complaints in the manner in which they are received: letters, emails, or telephone calls. Concerns come from a variety of sources, and during FY 05- 06, as customer complaint log will be developed and tested for tracking trends. Staff continues to work to address, and if possible, resolve the complaint to the customer’s satisfaction in a timely manner.

Inquiry conversion studies are done to measure the effectiveness of advertising placement and customer satisfaction with the fulfillment process. (See Figure 7.1.5) South Carolina’s tourism industry partners invest in PRT’s cooperative advertising (See Category 7.3) programs, whereby they are able to measure the return on the media investment through qualified inquiry leads.

The State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) researches public interest in outdoor activities, analyzes demand for facilities, and reviews current issues, trends, and opportunities. Through coordination with other agencies and groups an implementation program is developed to address identified needs and concerns. SCORP is a requirement for the state to participate in the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and is the key basis for the Open Project Selection Process used to award LWCF and State Recreation Land Trust Fund (RELT) grants. (See Categories 6.4 and 7.3)

3.5 How do you build positive relationship with customers and stakeholders? In order to build positive relationships with customers and stakeholders, PRT balances the unique needs of different customer segments. In addition, key members of the senior leadership team attend numerous in-state industry meetings throughout the year, proactively providing updates on PRT's marketing activities and bringing back suggestions for continuous improvement.

PRT supports the promotional efforts of important in-state sporting events such as the Family Circle Cup tennis tournament, the Heritage Golf Tournament, and the Canadian PGA Tour. The TMPP marketing grant program builds a positive relationship on the shared goal of tourism promotion through cooperative marketing. This program allows customers/stakeholders to expand marketing reach, better leverage marketing dollars, extend South Carolina’s brand image and realize economic benefits (accommodations tax, sustained jobs, admissions tax, etc.) for each area and the state of South Carolina.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 26 The State Park Service continues to build on the positive relationships with “friends” groups while expanding this program into other parks. Results of these meetings will impact program content and operational procedures. The involvement and input of citizens in the management and operation of public lands is essential as parks are managed not only for this generation, but also for future generations.

Category 4 – Information and Analysis 4.1. How do you decide which operations, processes and systems to measure for tracking financial and operational performance? Senior leaders review key goals of the many action plans of the agency to determine what measures they will monitor to determine the successful completion of the action plan goals. The agency has engaged staff and management in assessing their goals and distilling key “dashboard measures” based upon the broad goals of the agency and the objectives of each operational plan. During this past fiscal year, a draft of an agency- wide dashboard of performance measures was created. This agency dashboard is the center piece of an organizational performance review process that will be piloted during FY 05-06.

One of the critical measurement processes of the agency is the evaluation of the dollars spent on marketing. The Travel & Tourism Satellite Account (TTSA) also provides a mechanism for more completely measuring all aspects of economic activity attributable to travel and tourism. Since the TTSA data system has been made operational, it is used as the foundation for public and private sector decision-making on key tourism issues. (See Figures 7.2.4, 7.2.5, 7.2.6 and 7.2.7) Within the management system for the parks, key measures were identified to track progress toward the strategies, objectives, and goals of the Parks system.

4.2. What are your key measures? Capital investments Impact of destination marketing Cost savings campaigns Customer feedback Inquiries Development of rural heritage tourism Marketing Plan Outcomes Discover Carolina feedback survey Park net operating income Economic impact of Parks as tourism Percent occupancy of State Parks product Percent Park self-sufficiency Employee satisfaction Projects managed Grants awarded Resource management Historic structures / sites on national Search Engine Optimization register TMPP funding Value of admissions tax grants allocated Welcome Centers -- accommodations overnight reservations, door count, attraction reservations, national certification of staff Number of Park reservations of bookings from each source Omnibus Survey – in-state visitor feedback for State Parks Register on website for Discover Carolina program and downloads for teacher lesson plans

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 27 4.3. How do you ensure data quality, timeliness, accuracy, security and availability for decision making? To ensure data quality and reliability, PRT developed and deployed an Enterprise Database. Several years ago, this database combined six stand-alone databases into one central database, reducing duplicate data entry, and allowing for the sharing of information across program areas. The agency fine tuned policies and procedures over the last fiscal year for the collection, input and quality control of all data contained in the Enterprise Database. Training on the use of this database is provided to agency personnel on an ongoing basis.

Monthly, quarterly, and annual reports available on the agencies web portal site for download offer tourism-related tax collections, occupancy information, visitor expenditures, visitor profiles, visitation estimates, and the impact of tourism on jobs and the state economy. Likewise, the TTSA has enhanced the quality, reliability, completeness, and availability of data for the tourism industry and tourism economy. (See Figures 7.2.4, 7.2.5, 7.2.6 and 7.2.7)

In this rating period, a number of innovative technology projects have been implemented that have lead to an increase in productivity and reduction in cost. These projects include: • The virtualization and consolidation of 16 servers to 2 physical servers • The deployment of a new tape backup system that replaced a system that was over 9 years old and provides cost savings and decreased time for backup and file recovery • The deployment of a Juniper SSL VPN Network Access appliance, giving PRT employees the ability to securely access the PRT network and their PC desktops from any Web browser.

The State Park Service developed and implemented a financial reporting system that will compare budget to actual revenues and expenses. This system provides quarterly financial reports by park, district, and overall Park Service. The district managers will have financial reviews with their park managers to explain any variances between actual and budgeted revenues/expenses. An operational team from the central office in Columbia will meet quarterly with the district managers to explain the source of any variances in their district. During this meeting, district managers must present a plan as to how they will recover from any budget variances. This system will allow the State Park Service to make incremental adjustments during the year in order to achieve annual financial goals.

4.4. How do you use data/information analysis to provide effective support for decision- making? To provide effective support for decision-making, the agency uses various research studies, the TTSA, the budget process, and the Park management system. With recreation services, research from the SCORP provides data needed for decision- making on recreation grant programs. The travel trade area monitors the generation of business leads as a measurement of the agency’s ability to impact specific markets. The TTSA provides an ongoing system of data from which to base both service decisions and tourism-related policy decisions. The TTSA data is updated annually on the agency website to provide information to our travel industry partners.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 28 The agency uses a variety of marketing research studies to inform, direct, and improve its marketing strategies including: strategy and perception studies, media usage studies, advertising and inquiry conversion studies, and fulfillment studies. (See Figure 7.1.5) FY 04-05, is the first full year of PRT’s contract with MarketSearch of Columbia, South Carolina for a full range of marketing research services related to branding and selling the state's tourism products. During this contract period, MarketSearch conducted household level surveys, focus groups, and other studies to gather information about consumer perception, familiarity, and interest relative to South Carolina and its competitive set as travel destinations. Their research also explores trip behavior, media usage and recall, and perception of advertising among consumers in markets of interest. This research influences the images, messages, and media choices used in PRT’s advertising strategy. Additionally, it evaluates the ability of PRT’s advertising to generate interest in travel to South Carolina and reinforce brand attributes.

PRT negotiated numerous added-value benefits as part of its contract with Reserve America, the vendor that has provided the central reservation system (See Category 7.3) and support for the SC State Park Service. For example, South Carolina parks are regularly featured on the Reserve America website. The parks are also included in the national “Best Campgrounds” public relations campaign and are featured in the organization’s camping magazine, which has national distribution. Reserve America also runs an annual “Let’s Go Camping” advertising campaign in local markets, and SC Parks benefit from this free advertising. All of these campaigns result in an added value of around $500,000. PRT also receives extensive editorial exposure in the “Park Adventure Guide” produced by Reserve America and distributed at all SC State Parks. PRT will receive partnership revenue from the distribution of the publication in the parks that could amount to approximately $12,500. Revenue is re-invested into parks marketing.

The accountability process generated awareness of the opportunities to use information and analysis to improve decision-making and efforts are underway to integrate this process into management systems. The agency recognizes that there is significant benefit to be gained by integrating and monitoring trends in the dashboard measures to guide decision-making.

4.5. How do you select and use comparative data and information? The selection is currently limited by the lack of comparative data that correlate to the agency’s key services. PRT services uniquely combine marketing/promotion, information services, economic development, technical assistance, Park’s visitor services, and stewardship. This unique combination makes it difficult to compare the whole of the agency’s mission to other state or national agencies. Instead the agency continues in the ongoing process of identifying portions of these services that can be appropriately compared and/or benchmarked with similar services in other public sector organizations.

To date, PRT has found comparison data from the National Park Service system, other State Park systems, a few federal government performance initiatives, the TTSA system, and the strategic planning process. PRT is working to encourage other states to adopt the TTSA and accept the standards that PRT has set for its use. Staff members are presenting the system and standards to critical partner groups in other states. In the area of tourism, the agency reviews its position relative to other states in our competitive segment by looking at tourism spending by each state for the current fiscal year. South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 29 4.6. How do you manage organizational knowledge to accomplish the collection and transfer and maintenance of accumulated employee knowledge, and identification and sharing of best practices? Knowledge and best practices are shared through senior management meetings, all staff meetings, and opening key program meetings to staff from across the agency. The leader of each program and service area constantly looks for best practices to bring back to the agency and to share across the agency from function to function. In addition, knowledge sharing is a key part of the project management system and reward and recognition program that were implemented in FY 04-05. Agency support staff also plays a key role in identifying and sharing knowledge and best practices across the agency through the role they have with technology, human resources, performance development, and finance.

Category 5 – Human Resources 5.1. How do you and your managers/supervisors encourage and motivate employees (formally and/or informally) to develop and utilize their full potential? Among the formal strategies are career path development tracks in the Welcome Centers and State Parks; annual State Park and Visitor Services conferences; agency wide staff meetings; program level meetings and project team meetings; an Employee Appreciation and Employee of the Year program; and Service Awards.

One example of how the process for encouraging and motivating employees is currently aligned with the agency’s broad strategies is the management system for Park Services. The management system used in the State Park System is called the “Management Triangle” and provides Park Managers with the necessary parameters and tools to manage their parks. The Annual Park Planning (APP) process has been fully implemented and includes a General Management Plan (GMP) for each state park, which serves to guide staff in the dimensions of Resource Management, Visitor Services, Facility Management, Human Resource Management, and Fiscal Management. The Specific Management Plan (SMP) provides more detail on the day-to- day management of the park. Overall, the APP enables managers to bring not only budget requests but also issues and opportunities to “the table.”

Ongoing opportunities for professional development training also provide motivation to employees. The agency offers computer training to all employees and professional certifications -- designed, in part, to motivate the workforce. Informal incentives include one-on-one recognition; recognition in group meetings; and recognition on the agency's intranet site.

HRM and a Focus Team are developing a training curriculum to prepare agency employees to become managers to fill the void that will be left as PRT employees retire. S.O.A.R (Strengthening Our Abilities and Resources) is a succession planning initiative deemed to enhance the management and leadership skills of a class of 16 of the agency’s finest qualified applicants per year. The program consists of a series of team building, low challenge exercises, along with scheduled courses encompassing management topics such as Fundamentals of Management and Theories of Leadership.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 30 5.2. How do you identify and address key developmental and training needs, including job skills training, performance excellence training, diversity training, management/leadership development, new employee orientation and safety training? Training for new employees begins with an agency overview video, which explains the organizational structure and top lines programs and operations. New and veteran employees also have the opportunity for ongoing learning about agency programs through regular staff meetings at which different programs are highlighted.

A training needs survey identified a broad range of needs across the agency. A training plan exists that identifies a training curriculum for six various categories of employees. For example, managers and supervisors are required to participate in training to enhance supervisory skills, and professional and technical employees are required to have other identified training. To help insure its successful implementation, training requirements were incorporated as an objective into employee planning stages. In the area of leadership development, the agency works to develop future leaders by enrolling employees in such programs as Leadership South Carolina; the Associate Public Manager program; the Certified Public Manager (CPM) program; the Excel program; and the Executive Institute. Where continuing education is required for an employee to retain a professional license, PRT pays the tuition for continuing education.

5.3. How does your employee performance management system, including feedback to and from employees, support high performance? The Employee Performance Management System is a tool that helps employees see their roles and responsibilities within the agency and work toward achieving agency goals. High performance is supported through the use of this tool. A universal review date allows employees and supervisors the opportunity to better plan for training opportunities, set goals and measurements for professional development, assist the agency leadership with better annual budget planning, and tie performance objectives to the agency’s operational plan. In FY 03-04, a mandatory objective was added to all EPMS planning stages for a teamwork evaluation. This objective helps align project team efforts and allows employees participating on teams to give and receive feedback on the team’s performance.

5.4. What formal and/or informal assessment methods and measures do you use to determine employee well being, satisfaction, and motivation? In FY 02-03, PRT developed and implemented an annual agency wide Employee Satisfaction Survey program. This survey is distributed to all full time employees and results provide feedback on agency performance and provide direction for initiatives taken to improve employee satisfaction across the agency. To assist every employee with the day-to-day realities of his or her job, the agency is evaluating several key employee engagement factors through the use of an annual Employee Satisfaction Survey. These factors derived from decades of research conducted by the Gallup Organization to determine whether people are engaged, not engaged, or actively disengaged at work. (See Category 7.4)

5.5. How do you maintain a safe, secure, and healthy work environment? Our agency manages programs of safety and compliance for the workplace for employees as well as for millions of visitors to State Parks. At every field location as well as the central office, a safety officer is responsible for maintaining a safe workplace. Material Safety Data Sheets are kept up-to-date and are readily available. Safety South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 31 programs include, but are not limited to, CPR, defensive driving, hazard communication, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Preventive Disease Transmission, Standard First Aid, Confined Space, and Safe scaffolding construction. Selected employees that may encounter blood-borne pathogens have received hepatitis vaccinations to reduce exposure and prevent infection. Safety is communicated on a routine basis through safety meetings and at major work sites through weekly meetings. (See Category 7.4)

5.6. What activities are employees involved with that make a positive contribution to the community? The agency offers employees opportunities for planned giving to support the United Way and other charitable organizations; staff members at all levels support such community organizations as Family Shelter, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, Habitat for Humanity, Richland County Public Library, Families Helping Families, and other community entities by serving on boards and as volunteers. In field locations, Park and Visitor Services staff is active in local Chambers of Commerce. Staff from throughout PRT is involved in a range of professional organizations relevant to their agency responsibilities.

Category 6 – Process Management 6.1. What are your key processes that produce, create, or add value for your customers and your organization, and how do they contribute to success? See Category 6.2 for a complete description of the integration between key design and delivery processes / services and meeting key performance requirements including use of technology, customer requirements, and mission-related requirements.

6.2. How do you incorporate organizational knowledge, new technology, changing customer and mission-related requirements, cost controls, and other efficiency and effectiveness factors into process design and delivery? PRT has four major program areas: Tourism Marketing, Tourism-based Community & Economic Development, State Parks, and Recreation. Various operational plans are in place: Diversity Plan Parks Vision for the 21st Century Marketing Plan National Heritage Corridor Program Technology Services Plan of Work Nature Based Tourism Plan Finance/Budget & Fiscal Orientation & Training Plans Management Plan Emergency Preparedness Plan Recreation, Planning & Engineering Comprehensive Interpretive Plan Operations Plan

PRT develops and implements an annual multi-faceted marketing plan that promotes the state’s cultural, natural, and man-made tourism resources for the purpose of attracting visitors to the state. The objectives of this program are achieved through integrated, targeted marketing and sales initiatives, return on investment paid space advertising strategies, and visitor services. Graphic design services saved the agency’s operating costs by using in-house graphics expertise and technology on projects that would have otherwise been sub-contracted out.

The Tourism Community and Economic Development program focuses on attracting and facilitating new and expanding quality destination tourism developments. The program also works to develop a grassroots initiative that uses natural, cultural, and South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 32 historic resources to provide economic development through tourism. Based on the unique needs of a company, services provided by PRT include the analysis of project criteria, site location assistance, customized project-related research, demographic and visitor information, tax information and business tax incentives.

The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor consists of fourteen counties that are marketed through a system of visitor’s centers, interpretive signage, travel guides and maps, sending tourists out to the various rural tourism destinations in the Heritage Corridor Discovery System. This program recognizes the value of heritage tourism to the economic revitalization of rural communities. The Corridor is the first product in a statewide strategy to promote heritage tourism. The Corridor will be used as an inventorying and developing product that is ready for tourists to visit. In the fourteen county Corridor, 50/50 cash match grants are designed for locations to use funds to develop and market tourism product. (See Figure 7.2.12)

PRT encourages the gathering, education and positive collaboration of ideas amongst the South Carolina tourism industry. This opportunity is made available through the S.C. Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Travel. On a consistent yearly basis, industry leaders can assemble to network, discuss common issues, and learn new key processes, which in turn may facilitate a stronger and more productive tourism industry for the state of South Carolina.

The agency’s Enterprise Database combines a number of stand-alone applications related to Welcome Centers, grants, tourism industry businesses and products, inquiries generated by advertising, the inquiry fulfillment process, and State Park programs. (See Figures 7.2.2 and 7.2.3) This allows common information to be shared across programs, eliminates duplicate data entry and provides for more in-depth research and tracking of these programs.

PRT has implemented a Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone system in all field locations (State Parks and Welcome Centers). This system gives field locations the ability to make telephone calls to the central office or other field locations, or for the central office to make telephone calls to field office locations. All VoIP calls are made using Wide Area Network (WAN) avoiding long distance cost.

The agency Director determined to increase the level of service the agency offered its industry partners by providing timely information on happenings in travel and tourism. The agency has begun a monthly newsletter to the industry that has grown to a subscription list of over 600 in its first three issues. This significant increase in service has been accomplished at almost no cost by the use of a purely electronic format.

The State Park Service serves a wide range of customers, including the citizens of South Carolina, by preserving and protecting the state’s natural and cultural resources for this and future generations. By implementing the new CRS, the State Park Service has eliminated manual record-keeping whereby each park was responsible for its own reservations with no automation or centralized system. The new system offers vastly improved customer service, powerful management information for park personnel, and a much fairer system for the allocation of high demand park resources. Improved customer service also increases revenue for state parks through easy booking, more

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 33 consumer information, the ability to cross-sell consumers, and improved yield management.

In addition, the State Park Service runs its thirty retail operations in the same manner it did 25 years ago. In FY 04-05, the agency awarded an RFP to implement a Point of Sale (POS) system to address this issue. Since the implementation of the CRS, the proposed POS system is under reevaluation to plan for the optimal design and implementation of POS in the State Park system.

Archaeological resources are recognized by State Parks as a valuable asset to the people of South Carolina. As stewards of natural and cultural resources, PRT strives to insure that archaeological resources are preserved and protected, as well as interpreted. The purpose of the compliance measurement is to assess the degree to which Resource Management Archaeology is consulted on undertakings that will or may result in ground disturbance.

Elevation, topography, the presence of well drained soils and distance to water are variables that are used to estimate the probability of the presence of archaeological resources. These variables are currently being incorporated into the ArcView GIS program and will be used to help estimate resource occurrence potential, and ultimately to prioritize geographic locations in regards to archaeological compliance. The process of evaluating archaeological compliance has been useful in that it has exposed some procedural issues that should be addressed.

To help insure excellent customer service, all eligible South Carolina Welcome Center staff is required to be certified through a national travel counselor certification program. Staff is required to participate in extensive training programs and pass a product- knowledge test to attain certification. All Welcome Center supervisors and eligible staff are regularly re-certified.

6.3. How does your day-to-day operation of these processes ensure meeting key performance requirements? PRT Technology Services supports the agency technology infrastructure with server- based solutions. Key server components were upgraded and consolidated, reducing the number of servers needed to support critical connectivity functions, increasing infrastructure security and expanding the efficiency of resources available to the agency.

PRT’s marketing plan is a key blueprint from which the agency works. PRT uses research, surveys and other marketing tools to determine what mediums (such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television, billboard) to employ and where to place our advertising dollars to maximize return on investment.

PRT maintains a close relationship and an open exchange of information with its research vendors. The vendor that performs inquiry conversion and ad awareness studies has the freedom to contact PRT's advertising agency, marketing office staff or research staff at anytime to get information or materials necessary to the completion of these projects. The research coordinator at PRT makes sure the vendor knows what our specific marketing objectives and goals are and what specific information PRT needs to know in these reports and changes in informational needs that may occur from year to

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 34 year. This person serves as a funnel to the vendor for suggestions by members of the marketing office, the research staff, the advertising agency, and others on ways that these reports may be improved.

6.4. What are your key support processes, and how do you improve and update these processes to achieve better performance? The PRT Portal web application combined previous multiple websites into one location. Users now have access to all functionality and information from one location. All information from state parks, attractions, accommodations, and the agency is now in one location no more than three clicks away. (See Figure 7.2.3)

Technology Services has provided cost-savings by providing select services at no cost to: Governor’s Office, South Carolina Administrative Law Court (SCALC, Children’s Trust Fund, and Department of Commerce.

The strategic objective of the TMPP program is to strengthen and expand South Carolina’s tourism industry by partnering with local industry leaders. Providing matching grants to non-profit, tourism-related organizations for their marketing efforts carries this out. Grants are payable only as a reimbursement for approved marketing activities. The purpose of these activities, when combined with the international, national and regional marketing efforts of PRT, is to leverage dollars, extend South Carolina’s brand image and encourage cooperative marketing. The TMPP was reengineered during FY 02-03 to provide improved impact for grant disbursements at the local and state levels.

Park & Recreation Development Fund (PARD) is a state-funded reimbursement grant program. It is a non-competitive program available to eligible governmental entities within each county area for development of new indoor or outdoor public recreation facilities or enhancements/renovations to existing facilities. Each project must have the endorsement of a majority of the legislative delegation members of that county. (See Category 7.3)

Recreation Land Trust Fund (RELT) is a state-funded reimbursement grant program. The funds can only be used for the acquisition of land for the purpose of public recreation. All applicants are graded utilizing established criteria reviewed by a grading team.

Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is a federal grant program under the direction of the National Park Service, US Department of Interior. These funds can be used for either land acquisition or facility development for the purpose of public outdoor recreation. All applications are graded utilizing established criteria reviewed by a grading team. (See Category 7.3)

Recreational Trails Grant Program (RTP) is a state-administered, federal-aid grant reimbursement program under the direction of the Federal Highway Administration. Qualified non-profit organizations, municipal, county, state or federal government agencies are eligible. All applications are graded utilizing established criteria reviewed by a grading team.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 35 Heritage Corridor Development Grants provide federal grants for planning, product development, and marketing. Local boards, plus a technical review team of other funds in the state, review grants, and the Heritage Corridor Board of Directors has final approval. Processes are improved with feedback from grant recipients and applicants, as well as those involved with the various stages of review. Specifically, the Heritage Corridor board codifies policy changes for the grants program at its regular meetings. (See Figure 7.2.12)

PRT has increased revenue and reduced expenses related to the current retail operations of the State Park Service by: • Establishing retail purchasing guidelines to reduce retail expenditures for State Park Service. Guidelines will serve to reduce our risk when purchasing items with unproven sales histories. This will serve to help us reduce slow-moving or dead inventory. • Providing new guidelines concerning inventory turns. By turning inventory more frequently, we are able to reduce the amount of inventory expense. • Evaluating the option of Web-based retail operations. • Evaluating PRT trademark licensing.

A cost-benefit analysis of centralized versus decentralized inventory management based on the cost savings of bundled purchases versus individual retail/operational inventory purchases was conducted to evaluate the current practice of purchasing inventory from suppliers, storing it in the warehouse, and delivering it to the parks as requested, versus purchasing smaller quantities of inventory from suppliers and shipping directly to the parks.

The findings of this analysis will guide implementation efforts during FY 05-06. Significant changes are planned for purchasing/warehousing, as well as, the conversion of the State Park Service’s in-house uniform program to a private vendor.

The Director of PRT is one of ten members serving on the South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development and on its Executive Committee. He is an alternate on Council’s Enterprise Committee. The Coordinating Council administers grants including the Highway Set-Aside Fund, Tourism Infrastructure Admissions Tax funds, and the Enterprise Program for qualified new and expanding economic development projects in South Carolina.

6.5. How do you manage and support your key supplier / contractor / partner interactions and processes to improve performance? The partnership with the S. C. Department of Corrections continues to be most effective for both agencies. The DOC is active in cost reductions at Hickory Knob, Cheraw, and Hunting Island. In addition, the DOC continues to work with the State Park Service on special projects like the building of a visitor overlook at Raven Cliff Falls. This results in a cost savings of approximately $50,000 with a utilization of 27,000 man hours.

PRT has continued cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers to fund beach re- nourishment for Hunting Island, resulting in $2,000,000. The agency worked with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to obtain funding for boat ramp improvements at Santee State Park for a total of $144,000.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 36

The Agency continues to design and make improvements to Edisto Beach State Park with Trail Grant funds and the Land and Water Conservation Fund in the amount of $895,000. Recreation, Planning and Engineering worked with OCRM and the Town of Edisto Beach to obtain funding for beach restoration valued at $3 million.

Staff introduced on-line image library – via external vendor – for media and travel trade partners, which will save time and money on fulfillment to media and travel trade. And, the agency is implementing an external technology-based system to update industry product data in an agency database that drives web and other marketing products/services. This system allows industry partners to update their information in real time and substantially reduces the amount of time required by PRT personnel to update industry information.

Increased private sector sponsorship and support of the State Park Service resulted in exceeding the $300,000 goal (cash and in-kind). New partnerships for the funding of projects like new interpretive exhibits, materials, equipment, and the new Central Reservation System (See Category 7.3) are all innovative approaches that have enabled the State Park Service to improve services without requiring additional tax dollars. Park staff conducted community level State of the State Park meetings throughout the state to get local input and support of the park system.

Technology Services has provided network administration, security, maintenance and web hosting at no cost to the Administrative Law Judges. Due to reduction in force (RIF) at the Department of Commerce, Technology Services provided network administration, security and maintenance under a Memorandum of Understanding. The Discover Carolina Teacher workshop and Clemson University have partnered to provide teachers statewide an accredited program that effectively teaches S.C. students curriculum based educational programs, while providing college level credit to the workshop participants. (See Figure 7.1.2)

PRT encouraged staff to participate, cooperate, and network with a variety of organizations, including SC Wildlife Federation (staff serving as President); SCDOT Scenic Byway Committee, Highway Enhancement Committee, and Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee; SC Chapter of the American Planning Association, SC Forestry Commission Recreation Advisory Committee; and Walterboro Great Swamp Sanctuary Commission. To improve the “green infrastructure” in South Carolina, PRT planned and executed a Recreation Resources Forum in March 2005, to bring resource provider agencies together. Common issues and potential areas of cooperation were discussed by attendees representing 13 federal, state, and local agencies.

PRT coordinates the State Trails Advisory Committee, a group representing a variety of trails-related interests. PRT initiated the collaboration of the Arts Commission, State Museum, Humanities Council, and Archives and History to work on rural tourism projects from a team approach.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 37 Category 7- Results

7.1 What are your performance levels and trends for key measures of customer satisfaction? Park Service Customer Satisfaction A statewide survey of 802 South Carolina adults conducted by the USC Institute for Public Service and Policy Research showed that 98% of South Carolinians who visited a state park in the past 12 months (April 2004 - April 2005) were somewhat to very satisfied with their visit. These results were similar to those from previous surveys in which this question was asked. In 2001, 96% were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their visit to a state park, while in 2002 this percentage was 95% and in 2003 it was 94%.

Respondents were asked to evaluate the various roles that the S.C. State Park Service plays in outdoor recreation, conservation, education, protecting historic and cultural resources, protecting natural resources and open space.

Ratings for State Park Service Roles

Protecting Open Space

Historic Resources s e l Education o R

Conservation

Outdoor Recreation

0 20 40 60 80 100 Protecting Open Outdoor Recreation Conservation Education Historic Resources Space 2005 65 59 51 64 62 2004 62 53 48 70 64 2002 59 59 50 71 65 2001 58 58 45 65 61 Rating

Figure 7.1.1

Ratings for State Park Service roles were consistently positive at the “excellent” or “good” level as seen in the chart above.

Discover Carolina Customer Satisfaction PRT partnered with Clemson University to create a systematic evaluation of the Discover Carolina school field experience program. The approach to the evaluation was to measure the perceptions of teachers and chaperones as to whether desired outcomes were being accomplished through the program. Data were not collected from students due to burdensome regulations governing conducting research “on” children. During the

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 38 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years, Clemson University evaluated two Discover Carolina field trip programs held at Colonial Dorchester State Park and Charles Towne Landing State Park. The total number of students participating in site visit field trips was 25,891.

Four questions provide a measure of overall satisfaction for the program. Two of the questions are behavioral and two attitudinal. The measurement scale was a seven point bipolar scale with a range from –3 to 3 with “0” as the midpoint. Results are presented in the table below. All teachers answered these questions. Global satisfaction measures were extremely positive.

Global satisfaction as reported by teachers with the Discover Carolina Mean Score Field Trip program I would recommend this program to other teachers like myself 2.91 If possible, I will return with my class again 2.91 The Discover Carolina program was a good use of class time 2.94 The Discover Carolina program exceeded my expectations 2.82 The reservation process was convenient 3.00 The park was easy to reach by phone 2.72 I received the confirmation packet in a timely fashion 3.75 The reservation system allowed for planning with park staff 2.91 The information received was complete 3.00

Figure 7.1.2 The mean score is the averages of all answers on a bipolar disagree-agree scale with a range of –3 to 3 with “0” being a neutral point. Any value between 0 and 3 is a positive rating. A value below 0 is a negative evaluation. A value of 3 is a perfect rating.

Park Service Lodging Customer Satisfaction A statewide survey of 830 South Carolina adults conducted by the USC Institute for Public Service and Policy Research showed that more than one-third of the respondents (37.2%) had been to a state park in the past 12 months (April 2003 – April 2004). Of those who visited, 94.2% were somewhat to very satisfied with their visit. These results were similar to those from previous surveys in which this question was asked. In 2001, 95.6% were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their visit to a state park, while in 2002 this percentage was 94.9%.This rating, based on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being Excellent and 4 being Poor, is indicative of the overall satisfaction that park guests experienced.

Satisfaction levels with State Park lodging have held steady for the past four fiscal years. The averages listed in the following chart come from cabin response cards returned for these state parks: Table Rock Hunting Island Dreher Island Devils Fork Givhans Ferry Keowee Toxaway Oconee Cheraw Santee Myrtle Beach Barnwell Hickory Knob Edisto Beach Poinsett

The rating scale included 1=Excellent, 2=Good, 3=Fair, and 4=Poor. .

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 39 Satisfaction with State Park Lodging

4.00

3.50

3.00 ) t n e l

l 2.50 e c x E = 1 ( 2.00 e l a c S

g n i 1.41 1.40 1.43 t 1.50 1.38 a R

1.00

0.50

0.00 FY 01-02 FY 02-03 FY 03-04 FY 04-05 Fiscal Year

Figure 7.1.3

The tables below reflect the average fiscal year occupancy rates for State Park lodging and average number of golf rounds each fiscal year for State Park golf courses.

Fiscal Year Occupancy Averages & Average of Golf Rounds

FY 00-01 FY 01-02 FY 02-03 FY 03-04 FY 04-05 Cabins & Villas 54% 55% 53% 53% 50% Campsites 28% 31% 27% 28% 26% Golf Rounds 25,666 25,160 21,030 21,320 21,810

Figure 7.1.4

Figures for lodging and golf rounds do not reflect the impact of implementing the CRS. Implementation for the CRS was not in place until spring of 2005 so the affect on occupancy and golf rounds will not be known until 2006.

Marketing Among consumers that received PRT’s fulfillment materials from January through December 2004, 93% said they received the travel guide in time to help them plan a trip. Additionally, they rated its influence moderately in helping them find specific areas and more attractions in South Carolina and in convincing them to stay longer. (See Category 7.3)

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 40 Fulfillment Material Ratings from Spring Conversion Studies Campaign Timely Delivery Influenced Influenced to visit Influenced to visit Longer Stay specific Attractions specific areas 1999 85% 3.3 out of 5 3.9 out of 5 3.9 out of 5 2000 83% 3.2 out of 5 3.9 out of 5 3.8 out of 5 2002 81% 3.1 out of 5 4.0 out of 5 3.7 out of 5 2003 96% 3.0 out of 5 4.1 out of 5 3.7 out of 5 2004 93% 4.5 out of 10 6.5 out of 10 5.6 out of 10 (Spring 1999 Conversion Study Final Report, SMARI Spring 2000 Conversion Study Final Report, SMARI Spring 2002 Conversion Study Final Report, SMARI Spring 2003 Conversion Study Final Report, SMARI Full Year 2004 Inquiry Conversion Study Final Report, MarketSearch)

Figure 7.1.5

Research & Policy Development The Research and Policy Development staff maintains a comprehensive array of reports on the PRT website. Annual research reports in FY 2004-05 include Travel and Tourism’s Impact on South Carolina’s Economy, Domestic Visitor Expenditures by county, Domestic Travel in South Carolina, and the Expenditures of Annual Accommodations Tax Revenues (by local government). Quarterly business indicators, including accommodations and admissions tax collections, tourism-related gross sales receipts, hotel operational statistics, airport deplanements, and hospitality/leisure employment, are analyzed in the South Carolina Travel Barometers. Monthly statistics are posted for accommodations and admissions tax collections and hotel occupancy statistics. On average, 9.7 unique visitors per day come to the research home page on the. Additionally, PRT's research staff responds to an average 1.1 requests per day for direct assistance.

Average Daily Count of PRT Research Users in FY03-04

14.0

12.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.0

2.0

0.0 JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN

Requests FY04-05 Web Users FY04-05 Figure 7.1.6

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 41

7.2 What are your performance levels and trends for the key measures of mission accomplishment and organizational effectiveness?

Tourism Budgets in the South Atlantic Region

FY 03-04 FY 04-05 Florida $25.7m $28.6m West Virginia $20.8m $23.1m South Carolina $15.3m $16.1m Virginia $12.1m $13.5m Maryland $11.8m $11.9m North Carolina $11.3m $11.3m Georgia $ 8.5m $ 9.1m

Figure 7.2.1

Gross Tourism Product In 2004, South Carolina’s gross tourism product per visitor rose 7% (from $264 to $284), over halfway to the 2 year goal.

Marketing PRT’s marketing budget for FY 04-05 totaled $13,779,178 million – counting all sources of funding (recurring funds, non-recurring funds, revenue, and federal funds). The previous fiscal year, the marketing budget, including all sources of funds, totaled $12,167,782. This represents a 13% increase in the PRT marketing budget from FY 03- 04 to FY 04-05.

PRT extended the South Carolina brand and its national image as an interesting place, especially for vacations, through public relations projects and campaigns. Similar efforts in the past were valued at more than $2 million worth of exposure. In 2004-05, coverage of South Carolina appeared in USA Today, the Orlando Sentinel, the Chicago Tribune, St. Petersburg Times, The Evening Herald (of the United Kingdom) and in newspapers that cover cities close to the state’s border, such as Augusta, Charlotte and Wilmington; as well as regional papers like the Atlanta Constitution-Journal and Washington Post.

Coverage also appeared in regional, international and niche magazines, including Southern Living, Atlanta Magazine, Family Fun (a Disney publication), Elle Magazine, Canadian Traveler, Pinnacle Living, Pathfinders Travel magazine, Beach Houses magazine, Boating Life, and Family and Performance Boating Magazine.

PRT also used the beginning of its new state park Central Reservation Service to influence coverage on South Carolina as a great place to camp and vacation. Stories and features were published in every daily newspaper in South Carolina and appeared as news items or features on most television news shows in the state.

An important measure for PRT’s domestic leisure advertising program is the economic impact generated by consumer leads that convert into visitors to South Carolina. Among the 558,000 leads that ordered PRT's fulfillment materials or visited PRT’s website for travel planning purposes between January and December of 2004, 58% took a trip to

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 42 South Carolina. Around 16% of these trips (53,000) were not planned before consumers were exposed to PRT’s printed on on-line materials. Visitor expenditures on these trips totaled over $85 million.

Number of Unique Inquiries Generated for PRT

# unique leads 300,000

250,000

200,000

197,780 201,213 230,096 150,000

100,000 93,423

50,000 45,399 50,304 14,642 9,851 0 FY01-02 Jan-June FY02-03 Jan-June FY03-04 Jan-June FY04-05 Jan-June

Print or TV ads Web ads or SCPRT w ebsite

Figure 7.2.2

Visitation to PRT’s website has grown each year due to consumers’ increasing use of the internet for travel planning. At the beginning of 2005, PRT made it possible for consumers to book reservations at state parks on its website. Additionally in 2004 PRT implemented Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices to make the website for more visible to consumers. These two programs contributed to an increase of 40% in unique visitors to the site between January and June of 2005 over the same period in the previous year.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 43 Number of Visitors to DiscoverSouthCarolina.com

# unique w ebsite visitors 900,000 786,148 800,000

700,000 562,463 600,000

500,000 390,238 421,307 400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

0 FY01-02 Jan-Jun FY02-03 Jan-Jun FY03-04 Jan-Jun FY04-05 Jan-Jun

Figure 7.2.3

Travel & Tourism Satellite Account Total Tourism Demand1 contributed $6.8 billion to Gross State Product, 5% of the state’s $135 billion total in 2004. Gross State Product limited to the sectors that directly serve visitors was $4.8 billion. (Gross State Product, also referred to as Value-Added, is the main descriptor of economic production in the economy and includes wages/salaries, transaction taxes, profits, depreciation and subsidies.) 1

Gross State Product from Travel & Tourism

$8,000 $7,000 $6,000 ) l 0

a $5,000 0 n i 0

, T&T Add'l 0 m $4,000 0 o Impact 0 N ' $3,000 ( T&T $2,000 Industry $1,000 GSP $0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Calendar Year

Figure 7.2.4

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 44 Total Tourism Demand1 supported 167,000 jobs, 9% of all jobs in the state. Of these, 130,000 jobs were in traveler accommodations, passenger air and other transportation- related commodities, food services and drinking places, recreation and entertainment, and shopping venues.

Employment from Travel & Tourism in SC

200,000

150,000 T&T Add'l 100,000 Impact

50,000 T&T Industry 0 Jobs 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Calendar Year

Figure 7.2.5 Footnote: 1There are two levels of economic reporting in the Travel & Tourism Satellite Account – Tourism Industry and Total Tourism Demand. The definition of Total Tourism Demand has been revised and no longer includes tourism-related manufactured exports. Historical data has been revised accordingly.

Visitor Exports (dollars spent in South Carolina by out-of-state visitors) were $7.2 billion, making Travel and Tourism the largest industry export in the state.

Visitor Exports (Out-of-State Visitor Expenditures in SC)

$8,000 s r a )

l $6,000 l 0 o 0 0 D ,

t

0 $4,000 n 0 e 0 ' r ( r $2,000 u C $0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Calendar Year

Figure 7.2.6

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 45 In FY 2003-04, over $1.0 billion in state and local tax revenues were generated by Travel and Tourism, compared to $406 million spent by state and local governments on behalf of travel and tourism, a rate of $2.46 to $1.

Government Revenues vs Government Expenditures for Travel & Tourism in SC

$1,200 $1,000 ) l 0

a $800 0 n 0 i ,

0 $600 m 0 o 0 '

N $400 ( $200 $0 F F F F F Y Y Y Y Y 9 0 0 0 0 9 0 1 2 3 -0 -0 -0 -0 -0 0 1 2 3 4

T&T Tax Revenues T&T Gov Spending

Figure 7.2.7

Welcome Centers South Carolina is one of only several states participating in TIA's (Travel Industry Association of America) national certification program. The certification program entails three years of experience in a SC Welcome Center, participation in ten familiarization- training trips, and scoring 85% or better on the national certification exam. Once certified, travel counselors must continue to update their product knowledge and take the test every four to five years. All eligible travel counselors and managers are nationally certified.

The South Carolina Welcome Center Program accomplishes its training through a partnership with tourism industry businesses and organizations. The following table shows PRT’s dollar investment in the product familiarization portion of its training program and the in-kind contribution provided by tourism industry partners.

FY 03-04 FY 04-05 Value of training $21,768 $25,062 PRT’s actual cost $2,369 $3,703 Industry in-kind contribution $9 for every $1 $7 for every $1 from PRT from PRT

Figure 7.2.8

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 46 With partner support, the value of the training for FY 03-04 was $21,768.82; however, PRT’s actual cost was only $2,369.82. For every dollar PRT spent on training for this program, the industry contributed $9 toward the training through in-kind support.

FAM Expenses 2004/2005

In-Kind Fam Name Contribution PRT Paid Total Spent Charleston – (Welcome Center Conference) $10,790.00 $1,967.88 $12,757.88 Santee $3,708.00 $570.42 $4,278.42 Pee Dee $2,290.00 $461.61 $2,751.61 Grand Strand $4,545.00 $677.62 $5,222.62 Upcountry $4,485.00 $547.59 $5,032.59 Total $21,359.00 $3,703.53 $25,062.53 Charleston FAM included All Staff, (Annual Welcome Center Conference) Expenses include Mileage, Meals, and Entrance Tickets from Ethics forms Figure 7.2.9

Travel counselors in the state's nine Welcome Centers provide travel information; distribute tourism literature; and make accommodation and other reservations for visitors. During the past fiscal year, more than 2.5 million visitors were served at a welcome center, and staff made accommodation reservations valued at $3 million. Additionally, on a calendar-year basis, the centers distributed nearly 6 million brochures promoting South Carolina accommodations and attractions.

Welcome Centers conduct a comparison of year-end, program wide results on a number of key indicators: traffic count through the centers using our door counters; number of accommodation reservations made, the economic value of the reservations, the number of attraction reservations made, the total amount of literature distributed. The * on the literature indicates the distribution is for the calendar year. All other figures in the table are for the fiscal year.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 47

July 1, 2004 – June 30, 2005 Welcome Door Count Accommodation Economic Attraction *2004 Center Room Nights Impact Reservations Calendar Literature Blacksburg 343,888 2,001 $143,071 90 453,670 .50 Dillon 473,674 7,566 $540,969 104 828,537 .00 Fair Play 171,279 1,009 $72,143. 91 469,544 50 Fort Mill 476,118 4,565 $326,397 179 496,377 .50 Hardeeville 501,845 14,047 $1,004,3 272 1,398,084 60.50 Landrum 137,640 2,918 $208,637 112 590,808 .00 Little River 125,492 3,047 $217,860 682 630,018 .50 North 132,481 3,412 $243,958 114 595,637 Augusta .00 Santee 162,877 2,679 $191,548 523 480,147 .50 Total 2,525,294 41,244 $2,948,9 2,167 5,942,822 46.00 $71.50 amount used to figure economic impact

Figure 7.2.10

Welcome Center Overall Program Results FY ’04-05

FY 01-02 FY 02-03 FY 03-04 FY 04-05 Door Count 2,508,331 2,488,067 1,659,511 2,525,294 Accommodation 59,858 50,839 42,759 41,244 Room Nights Economic Impact 4,149,357 $3,576,524 $3,057,268.50 $2,948,946 Attraction 2,167 Reservations 2,596 2,358 2,526 Calendar Year 6,794,546 6,603,964 6,332,391 5,942,822 Literature

Figure 7.2.11

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 48

SC National Heritage Corridor For FY 04-05, the Heritage Corridor was in its eighth year of federal funding following Congressional authorization in 1996. The amount of awareness of the program is important as residents and stakeholders within the 14 counties become knowledgeable about the opportunities for them to participate and to support the Corridor’s development. The program is based on grassroots involvement; therefore the number of times individuals participate in Heritage Corridor programs and events is significant, as is the visitation for the Heritage Corridor Discovery System. Grant funds support Corridor projects and indicate product development growth within the Corridor and the opportunity to leverage local funds.

SC National Heritage Corridor Grants Approved

$350.0 $299.9 $310.0 $282.2 $276.7 $278.3 $300.0 $250.0 Dollars in $200.0 $150.4 Millions $150.0 $100.0 $50.0 $0.0 FY 99- FY 00 - FY 01- FY 02- FY 03- FY 04- 00 01 02 03 04 05 Fiscal Year

Figure 7.2.12

Grants are made available to local governments to help offset the cost of public infrastructure that directly or indirectly supports the qualified new or expanding tourism development generating the admissions tax. Funding available for infrastructure was flat for four years but increased by 19% from FY 03 to FY 04.

Community & Economic Development In 2004, tourism generated over $500 million of capital investment in new construction. The Business Development Program was involved in tourism-related economic development projects that accounted for $281.3 million in capital investment during the calendar year 2004, assisting 18 companies or developers of tourism-related economic development projects considering new locations or expansions in South Carolina. Project announcements included the Cal Ripken Experience Baseball and Sports complex in Myrtle Beach. This project, with an initial capital investment of more than $23 million, represents a new market for South Carolina (sports training camps and facilities) and will also assist the state in expanding its tourism market geographically due to the markets from which the Ripken facility will draw.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 49

Capital Investments

$281.3 $276.1 $300.0 $268.2 $238.3 $250.0 $200.0 Dollars in $150.0 Millions $65.7 $100.0 $50.0 $- YR 2000 YR 2001 YR 2002 YR 2003 YR 2004 Year

Figure 7.2.13

Development Projects Managed 30 30 23 25 25 18 18 20 Projects 15 10 5 0 YR 2000 YR 2001 YR 2002 YR 2003 YR 2004 Year

Figure 7.2.14

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 50

Value of Grant Allocations

$2.8 $3.0 $2.5 $2.5 $2.1 $2.0 $2.1 $2.0 Dollars in $1.5 Millions $1.0 $0.5 $- FY 00-01 FY 01-02 FY 02-03 FY 03-04 FY 04-05 Fiscal Year (FY)

Figure 7.2.15

Grants are made available to local governments to help offset the cost of public infrastructure that directly or indirectly supports the qualified new or expanding tourism development generating the admissions tax. Funding available for infrastructure was increased by 12% from FY 03-04 to FY 04-05.

Recreation, Planning & Engineering RP&E completed over $3.3 million worth of construction for the agency’s permanent improvement projects during 2004-2005, including design, permitting, bidding, and construction management. These projects included two ADA cabins, campground improvements, 6 miles of nature trails at Edisto Beach State Park (S.P.); pond improvements at Huntington Beach; renovations at the Little River Welcome Center; campground boat ramp and tackle shop boat ramp at Santee S.P.; Palisade wall, Adventure boat shed and cradle, living history building and crop garden, and power improvements at Charles Towne Landing S.P.; a dock at Devils Fork S.P.; beach re- nourishment, marsh boardwalk, and light house repairs at Hunting Island S.P.; pedestrian bridge at Dreher Island S.P.; and sewer tie-in at Myrtle Beach S.P..

In addition, RP&E is managing over $5.2 million worth of permanent improvement projects that were under construction during 2004-2005. These projects included the visitor center and ADA trail at Charles Towne Landing S.P.; comfort stations at Lake Greenwood S.P., Edisto S.P. and Kings Mountain S.P.; the education center at Keowee Toxaway S.P.; the visitor center at Paris Mountain S.P.; and a restroom at Sesquicentennial S.P.

Also during 2004-2005, RP&E had over $8.8 million worth of permanent improvement projects in the design phase. These projects included a kayak dock, Indian shell mound protection, day use area road paving, and visitor contact station at Edisto S.P.; wharf demolition at Charles Towne Landing S.P., paving at Hamilton Branch S.P.; nature center at Hunting Island S.P.; boardwalks at Lee S.P.; residence at Old Dorchester S.P.; paving at Santee S.P.; an ADA ramp at the Table Rock S.P. Lodge and trail bridge at Table Rock S.P.; and Hunting Island S.P. beach re-nourishment.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 51

State Park Service The State Park Service was challenged by the agency director to generate a net operating income in the amount of $2,000,000 to be used for re-investment. This was accomplished through the decrease in expenses and increased efficiencies, as well as innovative partnerships like the Central Reservation Service with Reserve America. The State Park Service met the $2,000,000 goal in FY 04-05. This represents a significant turnaround when compared with previous years. For decades, the service had negative net income from operations.

It is significant to note that these investments were made possible through additional net income achieved through more efficient park operations and increased top-line revenue. In other words, none of these investments required the use of state general fund dollars. The funds came from improved operations.

Species Management Endangered, threatened and rare species are fragile resources that require special management and protection. These species are vulnerable to extinction because of several factors including habitat fragmentation, human disturbance, pollution, predation, and in the case of plants, competition with invasive exotics as well as ecological changes such as succession. Endangered, threatened and rare species are critical components of a state park’s natural ecosystem. Federal and state laws, including most prominently the Endangered Species Act protect endangered, threatened and rare species.

The South Carolina State Park Service seeks to identify, conserve and perpetuate its populations of endangered, threatened and rare species through an integrated program of public education and management actions aimed at protecting individual species and enhancing critical habitats. All management actions will be coordinated with appropriate regulating authorities, based on sound, scientific principles as prescribed by previously developed management plans and monitored.

Marine Turtle Management Program – Loggerhead turtle nesting totals were down statewide in 2004. At Myrtle Beach State Park, two nests with a hatching success of 89% and 204 eggs were laid in 2004. Huntington Beach State Park staff and volunteers monitored a total of 10 confirmed nests in 2004. The nesting effort was also down at Edisto Beach State Park with 20 confirmed nesting efforts recorded. Edisto Beach continued to provide nesting habitat for a significant number of nesting loggerhead turtles. Because of its importance in 2004 the State Park was chosen to be used as a Sea Turtle Recovery Team effort to further recovery efforts. As in recent years, beach erosion continues to present a major management concern, resulting in the necessity of having to re-locate a greater number of nests.

Due to high beach erosion, Hunting Island State Park re-locates a large percentage of nests. In 2004 a total of 19 nests were confirmed with an overall hatching success of 93.10%, improved from 78.45% in 2003. Hunting Island State Park also implemented a very successful volunteer program with a total of 166 participating in 2004. In addition,

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 52 Hunting Island park staff was also very active in public education efforts pertaining to lights out, night beach walks and hatchery watches.

Red-cockaded Woodpecker Management Program – The following management activities were carried out in 2004-2005 to support the red-cockaded woodpecker management program at Cheraw State Park: • The state park participated in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to cooperatively carry out prescribed burning activities on the state park. • The state park treated 60 acres in prescribed burning for habitat management purposes. • The state park enrolled 730 acres into a pine straw habitat enhancement program to improve forest conditions for red-cockaded woodpeckers and other plant and animal species of long leaf pine ecosystems. • Other habitat enhancement efforts were made including management of nesting cluster sites through bush-hogging and other mechanical means. • All known woodpecker cluster sites were surveyed and monitored including two active nesting sites that produced 4 fledged young.

Least Tern Restoration Program – Huntington Beach repaired and monitored the protective fence around the formerly used least tern nesting area in the hopes of encouraging renewed nesting activity. Edisto Beach initiated a similar least tern nesting program. These areas provided important breeding habitat for Wilson’s plovers and other shorebirds.

Bald Eagle Protection Program – In 2004-2005 two active bald eagle nests were documented on state parks. Young birds successfully fledged at Myrtle Beach State Park and Landsford Canal State Park. The nesting pair at Landsford Canal State Park re-built the nest in the same location after it had fallen out of the tree in 2004.

An important resource management objective of the South Carolina State Park Service is to implement an ongoing program to reliably inventory and monitor its populations of wildlife. This information will enable resource managers to make better informed decisions and better understand wildlife interactions with the resource and people. This methodology was developed through cooperative efforts of Partners in Flight and Southeastern Management working groups consisting of US Forest Service and others.

Bird Population Surveys – Table Rock State Park continued its annual spring and winter bird counts, representing 9 consecutive years of data collecting on the state park. These counts are important in documenting important population changes, trends and occurrences. Table Rock Mountain supports the only known breeding peregrine falcons in the state. Also in 2004-2005 bird counts utilizing park staff and volunteers were conducted at Lee State Natural Area, Santee State Park and at Caesars Head State Park.

Caesars Head Hawk Watch – The 2004 Caesars Head Hawk Migration Count marked the 17th year of participation with this nation-wide monitoring program. Volunteer support continued to increase with a total effort of 330 hours spent covering a total of 67

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 53 days from August 23 through November 30, 2004. In 2004 a total of 10,003 migrating raptors were counted, up significantly from last year.

White-tailed Deer Management Program – The increasing high density of white-tailed deer on state parks causes concern with diminished herd health and impacts to the natural environment. Because of these concerns, state park officials developed a management strategy to deal with this growing concern. In 2004 an integrated deer management program was continued at Croft State Natural area and Santee State Park.

Resource Management Measurement: Historic Preservation Historic preservation is one of the primary ways in which the State Park Service acts as a responsible steward of cultural resources. Preservation is the act or process of applying measures to sustain the existing form, integrity, and material of a historic structure, landscape, or object. Preservation places a high premium on the retention of all historic fabric through conservation, maintenance and repair. It reflects a building's continuum over time, through successive occupancies, and the respectful changes and alterations that are made. There are a variety of levels or intensities of preservation (preservation, restoration and rehabilitation) applied to state park resources. However, all of these levels share an overriding emphasis on effective maintenance.

Desired result of State Park Service preservation efforts: Historic structures listed on the National Register are in “good condition.” “Historic structures on the National Register” defined: The buildings and structures (managed by the SC State Park Service) that were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as of FY 2002-03. This does not include archaeological sites, individual gravestones/monuments, and trails that are listed on the National Register. “Good condition” defined: Structures and their significant features need only preventative or cyclic maintenance; all known corrective maintenance projects have been completed.

To measure the effectiveness of preservation efforts, national register-listed structures owned or leased by the State Park Service were identified (see attached list of national register-listed structures). The condition of each was then evaluated. Structures with no maintenance needs beyond “preventative” or “cyclic maintenance” were classified as being in good condition. Structures with one or more “corrective maintenance” needs were classified as being in fair, poor or unstable condition.

As of fiscal year 02-03, there were a total of 113 national register-listed structures managed by the State Park Service (note that the additional 63 structures at Oconee State Park that were added to the National Register in June 2004 have not been included in this analysis). Their conditions in 2004-05 (and previous years) were as follows:

Condition FY 2002-03 FY 2003-04 FY 2004-05 Good: 44 structures 39% 45 structures 40% 44 structures 39% Fair: 64 structures 57% 63 structures 56% 63 structures 56% Unstable: 3 structures 3% 3 structures 3% 4 structures 4% Unknown: 2 structures 1% 2 structures 1% 2 structures 1%

Figure 7.2.16

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 54

As a point of comparison, this is the same measurement that the National Park Service (NPS) has adopted in the NPS 2000-05 Strategic Plan. They are aiming for having 50% of their historic structures in good condition by 2005.

The lack of increase in the number of structures in good condition does not reflect the significant amount of progress that was made over the past year. The backlog of projects means that even with the completion of numerous and complicated repairs, there is still a lot to do before certain buildings can be listed in good condition. Also, maintenance is a dynamic process, and as problems are fixed they are sometimes replaced with new problems caused by use, weather, etc. Two major projects that are nearing completion are the Table Rock Lodge and the Paris Mountain Bathhouse. It is also anticipated that work at Hampton Plantation will quickly move the mansion from unstable to fair condition sometime in the next month. Several projects are also underway at Redcliffe that will improve the status of the stables, garage and slave quarters.

Changes from FY 2003-04 to FY 2004-05 included: CT-02 from good to fair RC-61 from fair to unstable HI-29 from unstable to fair TRC-6 from good to fair HI-65 from good to fair TRC-8 from good to fair HP-26 from fair to unstable TR-29 from fair to good PM-25 from fair to good TR-7- from good to fair PM-125 from fair to good TR-1 from good to fair PM latrine from fair to good (moved to TRC-16 from fair to good new location, established a new use as storage)

7.3 What are your performance levels and trends for the key measures of financial performance? 2004-05 Cooperative Advertising Programs PRT implemented a new creative branding campaign targeting the general consumer market, while also targeting the African American and golf travel markets. The duration of the advertising campaign included the spring, summer and fall travel seasons allowing for partnership advertising opportunities to be expanded. South Carolina tourism industry partners were offered carefully planned cost-effective initiatives across a broad range of media venues which included print, television and internet components.

Spring / Summer / Fall Magazine Program The 2005 media plan focused on women and their dominant role in the travel planning and decision-making process. The Spring/Summer/Fall Magazine Program created a balance between traditional publications like Southern Living, Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal and more modern and trend-worthy vehicles such as Organic Style, Oprah and Real Simple magazines. Contemporary magazines such as CondeNast Traveler and Travel + Leisure are popular with today’s women and target a more affluent readership. Partners received a 1/12 page display ad adjacent to the state’s brand message creating a customized two page unit. Partner Participation: 28 Revenue Generated: $ 274,206.18

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 55 American Legacy Magazine Program Covering black history with a focus on culture and society, American Legacy magazine celebrates African-American contributions to business, the arts, education and religion. Partner advertisers were represented in a 1/12 page display ad adjacent to the state’s brand message creating a customized two page unit in the May issue and a three page unit in the August issue. Partner Participation: 10 Revenue Generated: $ 15,468.48

Field & Stream Magazine Program Field & Stream reaches active outdoorsmen who travel in pursuit of their passion. Advertisers were featured in two South Carolina full-page insertions in the September and October issues of the magazine as well as an online sweepstakes promotion and e- newsletter. Partner Participation: 5 Revenue Generated: $ 10,368.00

Newspaper Programs USA Today - A full-page/four color advertisement was specially placed in the Friday weekend “Destinations & Diversions” section, targeting upscale leisure travelers in the March 11, May 13 and August 19 editions. Partner Participation: 17 Revenue Generated: $ 38,954.88

Smart Source Coupon insert Advertisers appeared in an oversized twin-tab freestanding insert in the Sunday coupon section of 30 newspapers in key SC feeder markets April 10 and May 1 editions Partner Participation: 8 Revenue Generated: $ 28,692.00

SC State Park Service newspaper insert A 12-page tabloid newspaper insert promoting State Park’s programs, events and activities was distributed in key feeder markets including in-state residents April 3. Partner Participation: 3 Revenue Generated: $ 5,022.00

Interactive Programs Reaching millions of travelers, the internet has become an indispensable tool for tourism marketers. Custom designed on-line programs allowed partners to reach consumers using this growing distribution channel. Partner Participation: 13 Revenue Generated: $ 51,393.60

PGATour.com The March-August promotional window was timed to correspond to the peak golf season for communicating with golf vacation planners. The program also included a sweepstakes in conjunction with CBSSportsline.com expanding the program reach. Partner Participation: 8 Revenue Generated: $ 58,458.96

Television Program Per Inquiry Television – The television campaign ran across national cable networks such as Lifetime, A&E, Travel Channel and many more. The pay per inquiry program generated guaranteed leads for both SC and its partners. Partner Participation: 4 Revenue Generated: $ 45,165.60

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 56 Tourism Marketing Partnership Program (TMPP) The agency provides financial and marketing assistance to eligible in-state, non-profit tourism entities through its Tourism Marketing Partnership grant program. The funding level for FY 04-05 was $2.9 million. This represents a 12% increase over the previous fiscal year. Expenditures during FY 04-05 were reported at $2.7 million, which contributed to a 4.8% increase in statewide accommodations tax collections during the revenue months of July through May.

Official Fulfillment Package/Travel Guide The 2005 South Carolina Smiles and Places Travel Guide continued its standards as a high quality publication. The guide combines colorful feature stories on the state’s people, history and culture with a utility section or “green pages” that give specific information on the state’s attractions. This section also includes the calendar of festivals and events, visitor tips, climate, important rules for the road, information for our international visitor, the state’s colleges and universities, and more. The guide and the South Carolina highway map comprise the state’s official vacation kit, which is distributed in response to inquiries generated from the marketing and advertising campaigns, through the state’s welcome centers and through general inquiry from those requesting information by phone or Internet. (See Figures 7.2.2 and 7.2.3) Partner participation: 82 Revenue generated: $464,970.80

PRT continued its partnership with the SC Department of Transportation for the 2005 highway map. The four-color map with nine-panel foldout format features hurricane evacuation routes on the back side. This feature allows SCDOT to use federal dollars to pay for its printing, saving PRT in excess of $137,000. The map is part of the two-piece official vacation kit, distributed in response to inquiries generated by the marketing and advertising campaigns, the welcome centers and through general inquiry by phone or on the Internet. (See Figures 7.2.2 and 7.2.3) Partner Participation: NA

Source of Funds History In Fiscal Year 1998-1999, Parks, Recreation, and Tourism operated on Admissions Tax Revenue and Park Revenue for its operations. During Fiscal Years 1999 through 2003 the Agency transitioned from Admission Tax and Park Revenue to State Appropriation and Park Revenue. In Fiscal Year 2004-2005 the legislature annualized $2 million however $2 million remained as non-recurring funds in FY 2004-2005. As the different types of funding were addressed over the years $2 million remains to be annualized; and as a result, PRT continues to depend on non-recurring funds to cover recurring items in agency program budgets.

PRT has been able to increase the Advertising and Marketing Plan funds from $9.6 million in FY 2002-2003 to $12.6 million in FY 2004-2005. The increase was a result of Agency reorganization and other costs savings initiatives. However, South Carolina still ranks below Florida, West Virginia and Louisiana in a comparison of marketing funds in the Southeastern Region.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 57

70,000,000

60,000,000 State Appropriations - Non- Recurring 50,000,000 State Appropriations - 40,000,000 Recurring 30,000,000 OtherRevenues/Restricted/ Federal 20,000,000 State Park Revenue 10,000,000 - FY2001- FY2002- FY2003- FY2004- FY2005- 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006- EST.

Figure 7.3.1

The National State Parks Association ranks states in terms of various performance measures. Two of the comparable sets of data are the self-sufficiency of state park systems and the revenue generation of state park systems. Self-sufficiency rankings refer to the system’s reliance on state appropriated dollars.

South Carolina’s State Park system ranks in the upper performance range in both of these criteria. The State Park Service achieved 72% self-sufficiency in FY 04-05, making it the 5th most self-sufficient service in the nation and the 2nd most self-sufficient service in the southeast. In the last few fiscal years, South Carolina has moved from being the 12th most self-sufficient service in the nation to the 5th. The national average for self- sufficiency is 39%.

FY 04-05 % Self FY 04-05 State Sufficiency Ranking Estimate Estimate FL 53% 17 GA 49% 18 MD 40% 23 NC 11% 43 PA 24% 39 WV 63% 11 VA 38% 25 SC 72% 5

Figure 7.3.2

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 58

Central Reservation System For the spring and early summer seasons, CRS has resulted in a 10.5 % increase in direct revenue to the State Park Service from camping, lodging, and day-use facilities in 2005 when compared to the same time period in 2004. The direct revenue from reservations this year was $4.8 million, up from $4.3 million the previous year. Some of the reasons for the growth are easier customer access to state park facilities, more convenient ways to make reservations and greater numbers of facilities to reserve. On its first day of operation, the State Park Service revenue was about $437,000, almost 50% more than it used to generate in a full week during peak reservation season. The volume included more than 2,600 individual reservations in a single day, which is more than the State Park Service was capable of handling under the old system in an entire week.

State Park Service Light/Power/Heat Expenses – CENTS Savings This table shows the expenditures for light, power, and heat for Fiscal Year 2004-2005 compared to the previous five fiscal years. The high-energy costs in FY 00-01 reflect the process of clearing up all outstanding power bills and consolidating the bills for more timely payment. The efforts by Park staff in putting the CENTS (Conserving Energy Now Through Stewardship) program in place have decreased energy costs from FY 03-04 to FY 04-05 by .65%. Since the beginning of the CENTS program, the Park Service has reduced energy expenses from $1.61 Million in FY 99-00 to $1.58 Million in FY 04-05. This has been done in spite of rising energy base rates across the state.

Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 DISTRICT I TOTAL $ 408,118 $ 487,127 $ 406,344 $ 430,408 $ 441,327 $ 459,709 DISTRICT II TOTAL $ 300,509 $ 350,764 $ 292,609 $ 322,960 $ 313,248 $ 300,776 DISTRICT III TOTAL $ 353,327 $ 426,803 $ 330,894 $ 338,885 $ 310,293 $ 313,757 DISTRICT IV TOTAL $ 555,085 $ 611,627 $ 507,413 $ 543,508 $ 527,545 $ 507,838 Totals for Park Service $ 1,617,039 $ 1,876,322 $ 1,537,260 $ 1,635,761 $ 1,592,413 $ 1,582,080

Figure 7.3.3

Per Cent ChangePer Cent ChangePer Cent ChangePer Cent ChangePer Cent Change FY 00 to FY 05 FY 01 to FY 05 FY 02 to FY 05 FY 03 to FY 05 FY 04 to FY 05 DISTRICT I TOTAL 12.64% -5.63% 13.13% 6.81% 4.17% DISTRICT II TOTAL 0.09% -14.25% 2.79% -6.87% -3.98% DISTRICT III TOTAL -11.20% -26.49% -5.18% -7.41% 1.12% DISTRICT IV TOTAL -8.51% -16.97% 0.08% -6.56% -3.74% Totals for Park Service -2.16% -15.68% 2.92% -3.28% -0.65%

Figure 7.3.4

State Park Impact Each state park is assigned a State Identification Number and this number remits all returns. The first two digits of the number reflect the county in which each park is located. However, accommodations tax that is remitted to DOR for a particular county may not be remitted to that county because of the way the state calculates the funds. For example, Horry County does not receive the full amount of accommodations tax

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 59 reported to DOR. Therefore, the accommodation can be shown on the state level, but we shouldn’t use the information to discuss or reflect any tax generated for a county. The Local Option tax which includes: Local Option Sales Tax, School District Tax and Capital Project Tax, is remitted directly to the county or city via DOR. These taxes do have a direct impact on the county or city in which that state park operates.

State Tax Information Fiscal Year 04-05 Admissions Tax Sales Tax Accommodations Local Option Total July-04 $22,654.55 $70,075.00 $20,149.00 $6,098.00 $118,976.55 August-04 $17,220.26 $60,180.00 $17,296.00 $5,577.00 $100,273.26 September-04 $12,234.91 $35,118.00 $9,948.00 $3,953.00 $61,253.91 October-04 $15,186.04 $50,168.00 $14,437.00 $5,299.00 $85,090.04 November-04 $6,754.57 $29,039.00 $8,119.00 $3,316.00 $47,228.57 December-04 $4,555.91 $19,921.00 $4,902.00 $2,087.00 $31,465.91 January-05 $5,891.33 $16,062.00 $4,308.00 $1,894.00 $28,155.33 February-05 $5,849.19 $68,907.00 $24,853.00 $6,705.00 $106,314.19 March-05 $10,267.84 $60,962.00 $20,440.00 $6,098.00 $97,767.84 April-05 $15,947.08 $69,809.00 $20,335.00 $7,266.00 $113,357.08 May-05 $22,938.09 $83,522.00 $24,603.00 $9,049.00 $140,112.09 June-05 $23,012.64 $81,751.00 $24,547.00 $7,496.00 $136,806.64

Tax Remitted $162,512.41 $645,514.00 $193,937.00 $64,838.00 $1,066,801.41 Figure 7.3.5

The average tourist that visits a SC State Park is spending about $70 per day in the park and surrounding community. This results in a $58 million economic benefit to local economies around the state and adds over $3.5 million to state tax coffers.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 60 Economic and Fiscal Impacts of Tourists Visiting SC State Parks

1 # of Tourists (Non-Local) Visiting State Parks in SC 825,180 2 Average # of Nights in SC 3.8 3 # of Visitor Nights in SC 3,135,684 4 Avg. Spending/Party $672 5 Avg. Party Size 2.5 6 Avg. Spending/Person/Day $71 Source: TIA TravelScope, 2004

7 # of Visitor Nights in the Park 777,645 Source: SC State Park Service, FY04-05

8 # of Park Day Tourists* 47,535

9 Visitor Expenditures $58,370,627

10 State Taxes on Visitor Expenditures $3,502,238

Figure 7.3.6

Recreation, Planning & Engineering The Park & Recreation Development Fund (PARD) is a state-funded reimbursement grant program. It is a non-competitive program available to eligible governmental entities within each county area for development of new indoor or outdoor public recreation facilities or enhancements/renovations to existing facilities. During 2004-05, PARD funded 130 projects totaling $1.6 million.

The Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is a federal grant program under the direction of the National Park Service, US Department of Interior. These funds can be used for either land acquisition or facility development for the purpose of public outdoor recreation. During 2004-05, LWCF funded 11 projects totaling $1.6 million. The Recreation land Trust Fund (RELT) is a state funded reimbursement grant program. The funds can only be used for the acquisition of land for the purpose of public recreation. During 2004-05, RELT funded 4 projects totaling $108,000. The Recreation Trails Program (RTP) is a federal grant program for the construction of recreational trails. In 2004-05, RTP awarded 9 projects totaling $761,200.

7.4 What are your performance levels and trends for the key measures of Human Resource Results? The Human Resource Management Office has continued to offer a limited training scheduled as a result of the Training Director vacancy. Five (5) training classes in Interview Skills and PD/EPMS were held and a total of 55 employees attended. Human Resources has continued to collaborate with other agencies to offer training to its employees through the State Training Consortium.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 61 Human Resources and a Focus Team developed a training curriculum to prepare agency employees to become managers to fill the void that will be left as PRT employees retire. S.O.A.R. (Strengthening Our Abilities and Resources) is a succession planning initiative deemed to enhance management and leadership sills of a class of sixteen (16) of the agency’s finest qualified applicants per year. The program consists of a series of team building low challenge exercises, along with scheduled courses encompassing management topics such as Fundamentals of Management and Theories of Leadership. The program Trainers consist of member of the State Government’s Training Consortium (free of charge) and six (6) PRT employees. The twelve (12) months program is scheduled to begin September 7, 2005.

PRT uses a matrix organizational structure that is a combination of a lateral structure of service or program management and a vertical functional structure. The matrix structure has resulted in more collaboration across the functions of the agency and maximized the use of fewer human resources across agency initiatives. Over 75 employees from four agency-wide projects were involved in this agency project management system during its first fiscal year of implementation.

Full-time employee (FTE) minority recruitment initiatives have also continued to be a main focus for PRT during this period. In addition to the mandated Vacancy Announcement distribution, announcements are being sent to targeted colleges/universities (including specific minority institutions); Legislative Black Caucus; targeted media publications; and, minority interns and current employees working the in the agency are also being encouraged to apply. PRT attended four (4) Career Fairs at Minority Colleges and Universities, of which twenty-four (24)) interns were hired to work in the State Park Service and Tourism Sales. Diverse Interview Teams are being utilized for all positions. In FY 04-05, we more than tripled the number of African- American hires in the State Park Service. PRT posted 94 positions during the rating period. The total number of applications processed were1,752. Out of that number, 455 minority applicants met the minimum training and experience required for an interview. This process resulted in the hiring and/or promotion of 42 minorities. The Agency EEO numbers for the past four years are:

2000-2001 77.4% 2002-2003 76.9% 2001-2002 78.2% 2003-2004 76.9%

Employee Reward & Recognition PRT Matters, the agency’s reward and recognition program was also rolled out in the middle of FY 03-04 and reached full implementation during FY 04-05. PRT Matters Day is the new name and new format for the annual employee appreciation day. Over 200 employees were able to attend PRT Matters Day. Employees are recognized during the day for receiving PRT Pride Pins, Employees of the Year Awards, You Excel and Service Awards.

The PRT Pride Pin award recognizes employees who have given great effort in all five value areas of Customer Service, Innovation, Leadership, Stewardship and Teamwork. Over 70 employees received their PRT Pride Pin during the first fiscal year of the program. The You Excel award recognizes employees who go above and beyond their normal duties and for the current fiscal year 85 employees received awards. Service awards were given for employees who had been with the agency five years or more

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 62 (including temporaries since they are integral to front line service) which resulted in 380 awards. Employees of the Year awards go to employees in each of the five value areas of the program.

2004 Employee Satisfaction Results To identify employee satisfaction issues, PRT utilizes an agency-wide employee satisfaction survey. The approach of collecting data through an employee satisfaction survey was initially implemented in November 2002. The response rate for the survey continues to be exceptional.

This year, 210 employees responded to the survey, out of 512 FTEs, representing a 41 percent response rate. An analysis of agency-wide responses has indicated several overall strengths for the agency in fostering a workplace that contributes to employee satisfaction including 85 percent selected “Always” or “Usually” when answering the statement, "Overall, I am satisfied working at PRT." A national employee satisfaction survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) stated that 80% of respondents surveyed nationally in 2004 indicated that they were usually satisfied working with their organization.

PRT wants to build the most effective organization possible. To assist every employee with the day-to-day realities of his or her job, the agency is evaluating several key satisfaction factors. These are the factors, argue Marcus Buckingham and his colleagues at the Gallup Organization, that determine whether people are engaged, not engaged, or actively disengaged at work.

During 2005, an employee focus group met to identify areas where the survey can go deeper. The focus group specifically worked with: • Exploring 2004 survey questions in more depth; • Developing questions to solicit feedback on major initiatives that occurred during 2004; and • Exploring other possible areas of employee satisfaction for survey questions.

The employee focus group that reviewed and improved the employee satisfaction survey identified the need for adding diversity and inclusion questions to the 2005 survey. The key factors reviewed to determine employee satisfaction at PRT demonstrated an overall satisfaction within each of the following areas.

Communication Employee Motivation Diversity & Inclusion Reward & Recognition Job Conditions Training

• Employee Motivation and Job Condition factors remained about the same from 2004 to 2005. • Communication Factors improved from 2004 to 2005. • Reward and Recognition and Training Factors were better in 2005 than 2004. • The areas ranked by employees as the top three strengths of PRT are: Customer Care, Coworker Relations, and the employee’s Direct Supervisor. • 77 percent (up from 69 percent in 2004) of respondents said they have enough freedom to take independent action when needed. This response provides an indicator of how empowered employees feel about fulfilling their responsibilities. South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 63 • 81 percent (up from 73 percent in 2004) said they have enough freedom in their position to do what is right for the public.

Technology Training With the deployment of the Central Reservation System, the number of core Technology training classes were reduced, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, etc. Training resources were devoted to the development and implementation of the Central Reservation System. The cost savings in each of the following charts are calculated on a training rate of $210 a day and a classroom rental of $150 a day.

Technology Education Cost Savings = $10,920

12 Full Days X $210.00 = $2,520 70 Half Days X $105.00 = $7,350 7 Days Classroom rental X 150 = $1,050 Total = $10,920

Total Number of PRT Employee Training Days = 82

State Park Service The Park Service continued to conduct on-going, job specific training during FY 04-05. Signs of beginning to rebound from smaller FY 03-04 personnel and training budgets are evidenced in the 04-05 count.

Park Service Training Count Report

FY 01-02 FY 02-03 FY 03-04 FY 04-05 Number of Attendees 2,099 1,650 996 1,199 Man Hours 12,825 13,346 9,881 12,467 Number of Courses 295 212 174 199

Figure 7.4.1

Safety During recent years, the Park Service has placed a greater emphasis on safety and injury free days. The state safety coordinator meets regularly with Parks’ District Managers and Park Managers. In order to assist these managers with tackling safety issues, the coordinator has begun helping the managers look at what impacts the agency’s experience. Safety training and management focus have led to a decrease in claims filed as pictured in the following chart.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 64

120 104 100 100

80 65 60 50 48 # Claims Filed 46 40

20

0 '99/'00 '00/'01 '01/'02 '02/'03 '03/'04 '04/'05

Figure 7.4.2

7.5 What are your performance levels and trends for the key measures of regulatory/legal compliance and community support? Recreation, Planning &Engineering At Hunting Island S.P., the SC Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC) Office of Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) has set aside $7.7 million in funding to restore the beach. PRT also worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers to complete the cabin road nourishment section of the beach.

Implementation of the Catawba River Planning framework continues through a partnership between PRT, DNR, and Duke Energy. Protection of islands and view sheds at Great Falls/Stumpy Pond is another priority that is being actively pursued. PRT is seeking new state park resources through negotiations with Duke Power in the hydroelectric re-licensing process for the next 50 years. Opportunities include new historic, natural, and recreational resources at Great Falls and recreational resources at Lake Wateree, through cooperative efforts with the town f Great Falls, DNR, Katawba Valley Land Trust, and other stakeholders.

To improve the “green infrastructure” in SC, PRT planned and executed a Recreation Resources Forum in March to bring resource provider agencies together. Common issues and potential areas of cooperation were discussed by more that 35 people representing 13 federal, state and local agencies.

RP&E provided design, engineering, and construction management and regulatory compliance services for the agency’s permanent improvement projects including state parks, welcome centers, and the Heritage Corridor. RP&E technical assistance was also provided to all five of the wastewater treatment systems operated by the agency. The assistance ranged from inspections to troubleshooting problems at the plants.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 65 In order to comply with federal and state regulations, RP&E also provided expertise in statewide planning projects that included the State Survey, FERC hydro re-licensing, DHEC environmental reviews, and other projects.

RP&E provided technical assistance to 33 communities/groups that included site assessments, conceptual designs, funding strategies and issues, organizational issues and proposal evaluations.

RP&E staff members participate, cooperate, and network with a variety of organizations, including the SC Wildlife Federation (staff member serving as president); SCDOT Scenic Byway Committee, Highway Enhancement Committee, Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee; SC Chapter of the American Planning Association; SC Forestry Commission Recreation Advisory Committee; Palmetto Conservation Foundation; SC Recreation and Parks Association; and the Walterboro Great Swamp Sanctuary Commission.

RP&E staff maintains and updates the http://www.SCTRAILS.net website, providing information and maps on trails throughout the state, as well as links to numerous trail user groups, trail management agencies and organizations, and a variety of trail resources. PRT also coordinated the State Trails Advisory Committee, a group representing a variety of trails-related interests.

State Park Service Through our State Parks Corporate Sponsorship program, financial resources have been committed for various projects throughout the State Parks system. The agency exceeded the fundraising goal and was able to maximize the use of corporate support on strategic park needs.

The State Park Service continues to work with private and public organizations on the protection and utilization of such natural and cultural resources as the Battle of Camden Revolutionary War site and the Blue Ridge Escarpment.

The State Park Service is an active partner with The Partnership for the Blue Ridge, which includes DNR, Clemson University, the Nature Conversancy, US Forest Service, the Forestry Commission, and several land trust and private landowners. These groups are committed to addressing the woolly adelgid epidemic, which threatens Hemlock trees in mountain regions of the upstate.

PRT is seeking new state park resources for the next 50 years through negotiations with Duke Power in the Hydroelectric Re-licensing Process. Opportunities include new historic, natural, and recreational resources at Great Falls and recreational resources at Lake Wateree, through the cooperative efforts with the Town of Great Falls, SCDNR, Katawba Valley Land Trust, and other stakeholders.

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 66

For more information regarding the

SC Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism

Please call:

803-734-1700

South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Annual Accountability Report FY 04-05 67